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SKETCHES 


OF  THE 

EAKLY  CATHOLIC  MISSIONS 


OF 


KENTUCKY; 


FROM  THEIR 


COMMENCEMENT  IN  1 7 8 7, 

TO  THE 

JUBILEE  OF  1826-7: 

EMBRACING  A SUMMARY  OP  THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OP  THE  STATE  ; THE  AD- 
VENTURES OF  THE  FIRST  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS  *,  BIOGRAPHICAL  NOTICES 
OF  THE  EARLY  MISSIONARIES  J THE  EARLY  HISTORY  CF  THE  PRINCIPAL 
PROTESTANT  SECTS  IN  KENTUCKY  ; WITH  SOME  ACCOUNT  OF  THE  ES- 
TABLISHMENT OF  THE  EPISCOPAL  SEE  AT  BARDSTOWN,  OF  THE  VA- 
RIOUS RELIGIOUS  SOCIETIES,  AND  OF  THE  GENERAL  STATE  OF  THE 
CATHOLIC  RELIGION  IN  KENTUCKY. 


COMPILED  FROM  AUTHENTIC  SOURCES,  WITH  THE  ASSISTANCE  OF 

THE  VERT  REV.  STEPHEN  THEODORE  BADIN, 


THE  FIRST  PRIEST  ORDAINED  IN  THE  UNITED  SPATES, 

By  M.  J.  SPALDING,  D.  D. 


Colligite  fragmenta  quo  manent,  ne  pereant. 

Gather  up  the  fragments  that  remain,  lest  they  be  lost. —St.  John  vi.  12 


LOUISVILLE  : 

B.  J.  WEBB  & BROTHER, 

JOHN  MURPHY, BALTIMORE. 


Ib 


COPY  RIGHT  SECURED  ACCORDING  TO  LAW, 


B.  J.  WEBB  AND  BltofHER,  PRINTERS. 


bf- — - 


BISHOP  OF  LOUISVILLE, 

And  the  Venerable  Patriarch  of  the  West 

THESE  SKETCHES  OF  A HISTORY, 

IN  WHICH  HE  WAS  A PRINCIPAL  ACTOR, 

AND  OF  WHICH  HE  WAS  THE  BRIGHTEST  ORNAMENT, 
Arc  Respectfully  Inscribed, 

AS  SOME  SLIGHT  TRIBUTE  TO  HIS  MANY  EMINENT  VIRTUES, 
AND  TO  HIS  PROTRACTED  APOSTOLICAL  LABORS  IN  KENTUCKY, 
AND  AS  A SMALL  PLEDGE  OF  GRATITUDE 
FOR  HIS  PARENTAL  SOLICITUDE, 

AND  FOR  HIS  MANY  ACTS  OF  AFFECTIONATE  KINDNESS, 

BY  HIS  FAITHFUL  SERVANT, 

AND  GRATEFUL  CHILD  IN  CHRIST. 

THE  AUTHOR. 


ei,  D.  D. 


Tp  I As 


is 


T O T H E 

tt.  Rev.  't/denedici 


366589 


PREFACE. 


The  writer  of  the  following  pages  has  not  intended  to 
give  a full  and  connected  history  of  the  early  Catholic  Mis- 
sions of  Kentucky.  His  only  object  has  been,  to  collect 
together,  and  to  record*  in  a series  of  sketches,  such  facts 
as  might  prove  interesting  to  the  general  reader,  and  serve 
as  materials  for  the  future  church  historian  of  the  United 
States,  and  especially  of  the  West,  to  which  Kentucky 
has  been,  in  a religious,  if  not  in  a political,  point  of  view, 
the  great  pioneer  and  alma  mater . 

Of  all  the  Western  States  Kentucky  is  the  oldest ; and 
it  was  in  this  State,  that  the  first  Episcopal  See  of  the 
West  was  erected.  At  the  time  of  its  establishment,  the 
See  of  Bardstown  held  spiritual  jurisdiction  over  all  the 
States  and  Territories  of  the  United  States,  lying  between 
the  thirty-fifth  degree  of  North  Latitude  and  the  Lakes  of 
the  North,  and  between  the  States  bordering  on  the  At- 
lantic Ocean  and  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  vast  origi- 
nal diocese' of  the  West  is  now  divided  into  ten  different 
flourishing  dioceses,  under  ten  different  prelates,  all  of  whom 
look  up  to  the  venerable  Bishop  Flaget  as  their  Patriarch. 

Most  of  the  early  Catholic  settlers  of  Kentucky,  and 
almost  all  the  older  missionaries,  have  already  disappeared 
from  the  stage  of  life ; and  the  scanty  remnant  of  these 
1 


VI 


PREFACE. 


venerable  pioneers  is  now  fast  hastening  to  the  tomb. 
They  belonged  to  a class;  which  did  much,  and  wrote  lit- 
tle. The  dangers  and  hardships,  through  which  they  had 
to  pass,  left  them  little  time ; and  gave  them  little  incli- 
nation, to  write  their  memoirs.  Almost  the  only  means 
of  learning  the  early  religious  history  of  Kentucky,  of 
which  their  lives  constitute  the  principal  part,  is  to  take 
down  their  own  statements  of  facts,  and  their  own  remin- 
iscences of  early  times,  while  they  still  linger  above  the 
horizon  of  life. 

This  is  what  the  writer  of  these  hasty  and  imperfect 
sketches  has  attempted  to  do.  How  well  he  has  succeeded^ 
the  public  will  best  judge.  The  only  merit  he  can  claim 
is  that  of  some  industry  and  patient  research.  He  has 
sought  information  from  almost  every  living  source  within 
his  reach ; he  has  noted  down,  and  compared  with  one 
another  the  different  statements  of  numerous  aged  persons; 
he  has  labored  to  supply  the  deficiencies,  or  to  correct  the 
mistakes,  of  some  of  these  statements,  by  the  more  copious 
or  accurate  details  furnished  by  others  : in  a word,  he  has 
endeavoured  to  derive  from  all  of  them  an  accurate,  and, 
as  far  as  was  practicable,  a connected  account  of  the  early 
Catholic  Missions  of  Kentucky. 

But  he  did  not  stop  here.  He  endeavoured  to  examine 
all  the  written  and  printed  documents,  bearing  on  the  sub- 
ject, to  which  he  could  have  access.  The  statements  fur- 
nished by  these  papers,  were  diligently  compared  with  those 
contained  in  the  notes  of  the  oral  accounts  just  alluded  to: 
and  the  comparison  served  to  shed  additional  light  upon 
both. 

The  published  accounts  of  our  early  missions,  besides 


PREFACE. 


vii 

being,  in  general,  unconnected  and  fragmentary,  are  mea- 
gre enough.  Scattered  over  the  pages  of  the  many  vol- 
umes comprising  the  “ Annals  of  the  French  Association 
for  the  propagation  of  the  Faith/'  or  published  in  various 
religious  journals  of  Europe  and  America,  they  are  some- 
times inaccurate  in  point  of  facts  and  dates.  Some  of 
them  are  overburdened  with  unimportant  details,  too  triv- 
ial for  history ; while  others  by  far  the  most  valuable1 — are 
much  too  brief  and  summary.  To  the  former  class  belong 
many  of  the  letters  written  by  our  early  missionaries ; to 
the  latter,  a few  succinct  and  well-written  accounts  of  our 
early  missions. 

To  this  class  belongs  the  admirable  account  of  the  ear- 
ly missions  of  Kentucky  drawn  up  by  the  very  Rev.  M . 
Badin,  while  residing  in  Paris,  in  1822.  This  sketch 
has  the  good  qualities  of  nearly  all  the  other  writings  of 
the  venerable  “ first-ordained"  of  the  United  States.  It 
is  clear,  connected,  accurate  in  point  of  facts  and  dates, 
well  written,  and  in  good  taste.  The  only  matter  of  re- 
gret is,  that  it  is  so  brief,  and  that  it  enters  into  so 
few  details.  Yet,  withal,  it  has  been  found  of  great  utility 
in  the  composition  of  the  following  sketches,  which  have 
in  fact,  been  based  on  it,  at  least,  in  that  portion  of  the 
early  religious  history  of  Kentucky  of  which  it  professes  to 
treat. 

The  author  deeply  regrets,  that  this  is  almost  the  only 
writing  of  M.  Badin  to  which  he  could  have  access.  In 
the  numerous  peregrinations  and  wanderings  of  this  vener- 
able missionary  pioneer,  most  of  his  notes  and  papers,  con- 
nected with  hi3  early  labors  in  the  West,  have  been  entire- 


Vlll 


PREFACE. 


ly  lost.*  Yet  the  writer  of  these  sketches  has  derived  in- 
valuable assistance  from  him  otherwise.  In  fact,  it  was 
he  who,  in  a great  measure,  originated  the  work,  which 
would  not  probably  have  been  undertaken,  but  for  his  pro- 
mised aid  and  co-operation,  His  clear  memory  of  facts 
and  dates  furnished  much  valuable  information  on  the  ear- 
lier portion  of  our  missionary  history ; and  supplied  many 
of  the  links  that  were  wanting  in  the  chain  of  printed  do- 
cuments. 

The  later  portion  of  our  religious  history,  comprised  in 
these  sketches,  might  have  been  much  more  copious  and 
detailed,  had  another  venerable  personage  not  been  pre- 
vented by  his  modesty  and  humility  from  allowing  the 
writer  access  to  his  copious  notes  and  papers.  However 
much  this  may  be  regretted,  it  may,  perhaps,  be  thought 
that  the  time  had  not  yet  come  for  writing  this  portion  of 
our  missionary  history.  When  that  time  shall  come,  the 
necessary  materials  will  probably  not  be  wanting;  nor 
will  they  be  deficient,  either  in  copiousness,  or  in  interest. 

One  of  the  greatest  difficulties,  perhaps,  which  the  wri- 
ter of  these  pages  had  to  encounter,  arose  from  his  having 
undertaken  to  write  the  history  of  recent  events,  many  of 
the  actors  in  which  are  still  living.  If  it  is  a difficult  and 
delicate  task  to  write  the  history  even  of  the  dead ; it  is 
manifestly  much  more  so,  to  write  that  of  the  living.  A 
man’s  actions  and  motives  cannot  be  properly  appreciated, 
until  after  he  has  completed  his  career,  and  finished  all  the 
acts  in  the  drama  of  life.  Influenced  by  these  considera- 
tions, the  author  has  determined  to  say  as  little  as  possi- 

* This  loss  occurred  chiefly  while  he  was  laboring  among  the 
Potowatomy  Indians  of  the  North  West,  about  twelve  years  ago. 


PREFACE. 


IX 


ble  of  the  living,  and  to  confine  himself  almost  entirely  to 
the  dead.  He  has  however  felt  compelled  to  make  two 
axceptions  to  this  rule ; and  to  speak  at  some  length  of 
two  venerable  living  octogenarians,  without  an  account 
of  whose  lives  and  labors,  any  history  of  the  early  missions 
of  Kentucky  would  be  meagre  and  incomplete  indeed. 

The  chief  thing  aimed  at  by  the  author  has  been  accu- 
racy in  facts  and  dates.  He  is,  however,  sensible  that, 
from  the  difficulties  he  had  to  encounter  in  regard  to  the 
materials  of  the  history,  as  well  as  from  numerous  inter- 
ruptions by  heavy  missionary  duties  while  engaged  in  wri- 
ting it  out,  he  may  have  been  betrayed  into  some  errors. 
These  he  will  willingly  correct,  whenever  they  will  be 
pointed  out  by  any  kind  friend.  To  enable  his  readers 
the  more  easily,  to  know  the  sources  whence  he  borrowed 
his  information,  he  has  also  thought  it  better  to  indicate 
his  authorities  as  he  proceeded. 

To  such  as  might  be  inclined  to  think,  that  many  inci- 
dents and  anecdotes  related  in  these  pages  are  too  trivial  in 
their  character,  and  had  better  have  been  omitted,  he 
would  beg  leave  to  say,  that  these  things  may  have  a lo- 
cal, if  not  a general  interest ; and  that  many  details,  which 
would  be  wholly  out  of  place  in  a regular  history,  may  be 
pardoned  in  mere  desultory  sketches. 

Bardstown,  Kentucky, 

Feast  of  Corpus  Christi , 1844. 


2 


CONTENTS, 


- % 


CHAPTER  I. 


Introduction. — Brief  Summary  of  the  Early  History 
of  Kentucky. — Necessity  of  this  Introduction — The 
two  Historians  of  Kentucky — The  original  Indian 
claimants  of  Kentucky — Treaties  with  them — The 
Pioneers — Dr.  Walkei — John  Finley — Daniel  Boone — 
The  “Long  Hunters” — The  Surveyors — The  first  man 
burned  in  Kentucky — James  Harrod— Stations  of 
Boonesborough  and  Harrod’ s Town — Other  Stations — 
Difficulties  and  dangers  of  the  Emigrants — James  Ro- 
gers Clark — Takes  Kaskaskias  and  Post  St.  Vincent’s — 
Battle  of  the  Blue  Licks— Expedition  of  Clark — Ken- 
tucky a State — GenT.  Harmar’s  Expedition — Gen’].  St. 
Claii’s  Defeat — GenT.  Wayne’s  Victory — Treaty  of 
Greenville — General  Peace 

CHAPTER  II. 

The  Early  Catholic  Emigrants  to  Kentucky. — Glow- 
ing reports  of  the  Pioneers — Virginia  and  Maryland  in 
motion  towards  the  West — The  hist  Catholic  Emigrants 
to  Kentucky — Dr.  Hart — Wm.  Coomes — The  first  Phy- 
sician and  the  first  School — The  Successive  Catholic 
Colonies — Dangers  on  the  way — Running  the  gauntlet 
— Indian  attacks — Death  of  McManus,  of  Cox,  and  of 
Buckman — The  Savages  and  the  Cross — Thrilling  in- 
cident of  the  late  war — Mode  of  procuring  salt — Do- 
mestic manners  of  the  Early  Emigrants  to  Kentucky — 
Furniture,  food,  and  apparel— Hospitality — Singular 
Adventures  and  hair-breadth  escapes  of  Wm.  Coomes — 
Incidents  in  the  early  history  of  Harrod’s  Town 


page. 


1 


22 


xii 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Thr  first  Catholic  Missionary  in  Kentucky — His  Life 
and  Times. — From  1787,  to  1793. — Father  Whelan — 

His  early  history — His  appointment  to  the  Mission  of 
Kentucky — His  arrival  and  missionary  labours — Pro- 
miscuous meetings  and  dancing — Prejudices  of  Secta- 
rians— Anecdotes — Father  Whelan’s  trials  and  difficul- 
ties— His  return  to  Maryland  and  subsequent  life — Rev. 

Wm.  De  Rohan — Remarkable  adventures  of  John  Lan- 
caster  * 41 

CHAPTER  IV. 

Reverend  M.  Badin  in  Kentucky. — From  1793  to  1797. 

— The  French  Revolution — Virtues  of  the  exiled  French 
Clergy — M.  Badin — His  early  studies — Anecdote — His 
lirm  attachment  to  the  faith — He  sails  for  America — 
Singular  coincidence — Anecdote  cf  Bishop  Carroll — M. 

Badin  appointed  to  the  missions  of  Kentucky — Charac- 
teristic conversation  between  him  and  Bishop  Carroll — 
Departure  for  Kentucky — Delay  at  Gallopolis — Arrival 
ot  M*  Barrieres — M.  Badin  alone  in  Kentucky — His  trou- 
bles— Christian  friendship — M.  Rivet — M.  Badin’s  la- 
bours in  Kentucky — His  missionary  stations — Teaching 
Catechism — Morning  and  evening  prayer — His  Maxims 
—Curious  anecdote — Hearing  confessions— Dancing — 
Anecdotes — Strange  notions  respecting  Catholic  priests 
— M.  Badin’s  privations — His  disinterested  zeal — His 
dangers  and  adventures — How  to  cure  the  Pleurisy — 

St.  Paul 55 

CHAPTER  V. 

Arrival  of  other  Missionaries. — From  1797to  1803. — 

Rev.  M.  Fournier— Traits  and  facts  of  his  early  life — 

His  arrival  in  Kentucky — His  stations  and  labours — 

His  character — His  sudden  death — Rev.  Mr.  Salmon — 

His  zeal  and  labours — Humorous  incident — His  tragical 
death — His  Epitaph — Rev.  M.  Thayer — Anecdote  of 
Franklin— Mr.  Thayer’s  conversion — His  labours  in 
Boston — in  Kentucky — And  in  Limerick — His  death 73 

CHAPTER  VI. 

Early  History  of  the  Chtef  Protestant  Sects  in  Ken- 
tucky.— From  1784  to  1820. — Our  authorities — Father 
Rice — His  opinion  of  the  first  Protestant  preachers  in 


C ONTENTS, 


Kentucky— A * ‘speck”  of  Religion — Wrangling  and 
Sectarism — A frightful  picture — Causes  of  religious  de- 
cline—Avarice  in  preachers— The  great  hurricane  of 
religion — Origin  and  doctrines  of  the  Cumberland  Pres- 
byterians—Fierce  and  indomitable  spirit  of  Presbyteri- 
anism— Origin  of  the  “New-Lights” — Singular  mani- 
festo— Sentence  of  deposition — A curious  document — 

Origin  of  the  Campbellites — Presbyterian  dissensions — 

A preacher  twice  convicted  of  slander — Another  con- 
demned— Disunion  among  Baptists — The  “great  revi- 
val” in  Kentucky — Col.  Stone’s  description  of  it — Far- 
ther particulars — Jerking , jumping , falling , and  lark- 
ing exercises — The  Shakers  in  Kentucky — Curious  re- 
ligious statistics — Reflections 82 

CHAPTER  VII. 

M.  Badtn  again  alone. — From  1803  to  1805. — Death  of 
missionaries — M.  Rivet  and  General  Harrison — But 
three  Catholic  missionaries  in  the  whole  West — Labors 
of  M.  Badin  increase — No  rest  in  this  life — Anecdote 
of  Bishop  David — M.  Badin  not  dead — Fruits  of  his  la- 
bours— Piety  of  early  Catholics — Zeal  to  attend  church 
“Uncle  Harry,”  a pious  negro— Hospitable  Catholics 
of  the  olden  time— Distinguished  men  of  Kentucky, 
friends  }of  M.  Badin— Joe  Daviess— Converts — Judge 
Twyman — Mrs,  Onan— Singular  charge  against  Cath- 
olics— Is  the  Pope  antichrist? — Zealous  Catholic  lay- 
men— Anecdotes — Celibacy — Having  two  wives— The 
“Water-witch” — Asking  a sign — Divorces — Praying 
by  proclamation — How  many  Commandments— “Prin- 
ciples of  Catholics” — Discussion  with  preacher  Mc- 
Henry— Famous  Sermon  on  Baptism Ill 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

The  Rev.  Charles  Nerlnckx— Hrs  early  Life  and  La- 
bours— From  1805  to  1811, — M.  Nerinckx — His  child- 
hood and  early  history — Curate  at  Malines — And  at  Ev- 
erbery  Meerbeke — His  care  of  children — Revival  of  pie- 
ty—His  austerity—  Is  persecuted  and  compelled  to  fly — 

His  retreat  at  Terremonde — Escapes  to  the  United 
States — A “floating  hell”— Reaches  Baltimore — Sent 
to  Kentucky— His  arrival  and  early  labours — His  spirit 
of  prayer  and  mortification — His  courage  and  zeal— His 
cheerfulness  and  kindness  to  the  poor — His  narrow  es- 
capes in  crossing  rivers— His  wolf  adventure— His  ad- 
venture with  Haidin— His  bodily  strength  and  toils — 

The  churches  he  built — His  labours  in  the  confessional 
— A touching  devotion— The  fruits  of  his  zeal — The  se- 
cret of  his  suceess — A touching  incident 


130 


XIV 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

The  Dominicans  in  Kentucky. — From  1805  to  1824.-— 

Early  missionary  labours  of  the  Dominican  Order— The 
English  Dominicans — College  at  Bornheim— Departure 
for  America— Arrival  in  Kentucky— Founding  of  St. 

Rose — The  new  noviciate— Bishop  Concannon — Father 
Wilson’s  learning,  viitues,  labours  and  death — Father 
Edward  Fenwick — His  zeal  and  labouis — ‘ Stray  sheep* 

— Humorous  adventure  with  an  old  lady — His  mission- 
ary labours  in  Ohio — Founding  of  St,  Joseph’s,  Somer- 
set— Nominated  first  Bishop  of  Cincinnati — His  success 
and  death — The  missionary  labours  of  the  Dominicans 
in  Kentucky— Father  Willet — College  of  St.  Thomas 
Aquinas — Monastery  of  St.  Magdalen’s 149 

CHAPTER  X. 

The  Trappists  in  Kentucky. — From  1805  to  1809. — 
Goodness  of  Providence  towaid  the  Missions  of  Ken- 
tucky— The  Cistercian  and  Carthusian  Monks — The 
Abbe  De  Ranee—  His  early  life,  disorders,  and  conver- 
sion— His  exemplary  penance — Attempts  a reform  of 
the  Order— The  Trappists — Their  rules  and  austerities 
— Dispersed  by  the  French  Revolution — Some  of  them 
escape  to  America — Father  Urban  Guillet — The  Trap- 
pists at  the  Pigeon  Hills,  in  Pennsylvania— Their  arri- 
val in  Kentucky — Their  edifying  life  and  austerities — 

The  number  who  died  in  Kentucky — Cross  in  the  moon 
— Departure  for  Missouri— Delay  at  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio— Sublime  spectacle — Ascent  of  the  Mississippi — 
Curious  accident — The  Trappists  at  Flourissant — And 
at  Monk’s  Mound— The  Indians — Curious  fact  in 
acoustics — Deaths  at  Monk’s  Mound — Return  to  Eu- 
rope— Incidents  of  travel — Remarks  on  a passage  in 
the  “American  Notes”  of  Charles  Dickens 1G2 

CHAPTER  XI. 

The  Arrival  of  the  Bishop  in  Kentucky. — Efforts  of  M. 

Badin  to  have  a Bishop  nominated  for  Kentucky—  His 
Journey  to  Baltimore-Edifying  incident  at  Brownsville 
Pennsylvania — The  Rev.  M.  Flaget — His  early  life — 
Arrival  in  America — Labours  at  Vincennes — In  Hava- 
na— And  at  Baltimore— His  qualities — Appointed  first 
Bishop  of  Bardstown — Firmly  declines  accepting — 
Compelled  to  yield — Consecrated — The  Rev.  M.  David 
— Difficulties  and  delay  at  Baltimore — Extracts  from  the 
Bishop’s  correspondence— Incidents  of  the  journey  to 


CONTENTS.  XV 

Kentucky— The  arrival— The  ceremonies  of  taking  pos- 
session of  his  See— Apostolical  poverty— Religions  sta- 
tistics of  Kentucky  on  his  arrival — And  of  the  North- 
west— The  Bishop  removes  to  St.  Thomas’,  and  to 
Bardstown— The  first  priest  ordained  in  Kentucky— His 
zeal  and  labours — Eulogy  of  Bishop  Flaget 178 

CHAPTER  XII, 

Rev.  M,  Neeinckx  again. — His  Establishments  and 
death — From  1811  to  1824. — Rev.  M.  Nerinckx — Faith- 
ful unto  death— A good  soldier  of  the  cross — His  merits 
testified  by  Bishop  Flaget — His  success  in  making  con- 
verts— Appointed  administrator  of  New  Orleans — De- 
clines the  honor — Affection  of  his  old  parishioners— 

His  spirit  and  character — Founds  the  Society  of  Loretto 
— The  objects  of  the  Sisterhood— The  Mother  House — 

And  branch  establishments — Bishop  FI  aget’s  testimony 
— Utility  of  the  Society — Christian  perfection — Reli- 
ance on  Providence — Love  of  Poverty — Continual  pray- 
er—Mortification — Rules  modified — Journey  of  M.  Ner- 
inckx to  Missouri — His  edifying  death— Translation  of 
his  remains — His  monument  and  epitaph 196 

CHAPTER  XIII. 

Father  David — His  Early  Life — The  Theological  Se- 
minary,— Father  David — His  parentage  and  early 
youth — He  studies  for  the  Church — And  is  ordained — 

Joins  the  Sulpicians— Is  forced  to  fly  from  France — 

Sails  for  America— Becomes  a missionary  in  Maryland 
— Gives  Retreats  with  great  fruit — Resides  in  George- 
town College — And  in  Baltimore — Accompanies  Bishop 
Flaget  to  Kentucky- -Founds  our  Theological  Seminary 
— Its  early  history  sketched — Virtues  and  labours  of  the 
Seminarians — -Instructions  and  Maxims  of  Father  David 
— His  character — His  missionary  labours 215 

CHAPTER  XIV. 

The  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Kentucky. — Father  David, 
their  Founder— The  objects  of  the  Sisterhood— Its  hum- 
ble beginning— And  early  history — Its  rapid  growth — 

And  extended  usefulness — Branch  establishments — 
Removal  to  the  present  situation — Present  condition  of 
the  Society — A precious  legacy 229 

CHAPTER  XV. 

The  New  Cathedral  of  St.  Joseph’s — Consecration  of 
Father  David — His  writings,  Death,  and  Charac- 


XVI 


CONTENTS. 


ter.— Removal  of  the  Seminary  to  Bardstown — Erec- 
tion of  the  Cathedral — Liberal  subscriptions — Obsta- 
cles— Dedication  of  the  Cathedral — The  edifice  describ- 
ed— Its  paintings  and  ornaments — Father  David  named 
Bishop— Accepts  with  reluctance — His  poverty — His 
Consecration — His  zeal  redoubles — His  zeal  for  the  ru- 
brics— And  taste  for  Music— His  qualities  as  pastor  of 
the  Cathedral — As  a preacher — And  as  a confessor — 

The  splendid  services  of  the  Cathedral — A refreshing 
reminiscence — Testimony  of  eye-witnesses — The  re- 
mainder of  Father  David’s  life— His  zeal  for  the  faith — 

His  oral  discussion  with  Hall — His  controversial  ser- 
mons and  writings — His  other  writings — His  happy 

death — And  character.. 242 

CHAPTER  XVI. 

Rev.  Messrs.  O’ Flynn  and  Derigaud. — Rev.  F.  O’- 
Flynn— His  early  life — Emigration  to  America — And 
arrival  in  Kentucky — His  appearance  and  piety — In- 
cident showing  his  eloquence — His  infirm  health — And 
return  to  France — Rev.  M.  Derigaud — His  early  life — 
Ordination — Virtues — Zeal  and  labours — A religious 

brotherhood — His  edifying  death 259 

CHAPTER  XVII. 

Rev.  Wm.  Byrne  and  Rev.  George  A.  M.  Elder. — Two 
Christian  friends — Two  founders  of  Colleges — Rev. 

Wm.  Byrne — His  early  life — His  ordination — His  zeal 
and  missionary  labouis — Founds  St.  Mary’s  College 
— His  unshaken  constancy  in  adversity — His  qualities 
as  a preacher — His  virtues  and  instructions — Falls  a 
martyr  of  charity — Rev.  G.  A.  M.  Elder — His  early 
life — And  missionary  labours — His  amiability  of  cha- 
racter— Founds  St.  Joseph’s  College — A touching  inci- 
dent— His  indefatigable  zeal — His  pious  and  edifying 

death 265 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 

The  Jubilee  of  1826-7. — Statistics  of  the  Diocess  at 
its  close — Conclusion. — The  nature  of  a Jubilee — 

And  of  an  Indulgence  in  general — The  utility  of  In- 
dulgences shown — The  Jubilee  of  1826-7  in  Kentucky 
— Its  commencement — Progress — And  astonishing  re- 
sults— Edifying  examples — Conversions  of  Protestants 
— Statistics  of  the  Diocess — The  Rev.  Mr.  Kenrick — 


Reflections — The  Patriarch  of  the  West 288 

Appendix 303 


SKETCHES 

OF  THE 

EARLY  CATHOLIC  MISSIONS  OF  KENTUCKY. 

CHAPTER  I. 

INTRODUCTION. 

Brief  Summary  of  the  Early  History  of  Kentucky. 

Necessity  of  this  Introduction — The  two  Historians  of  Ken- 
tucky— The  original  Indian  claimants  of  Kentucky — Treaties 
with  them — The  Pioneers — Dr.  Walker — John  Finley — Daniel 
Boone — The  “Long  Hunters" — The  Surveyors — The  first  man 
burned  in  Kentucky — James  Harrod — Stations  of  Boonesbo- 
rough  and  Harrod’s  Town — Other  Stations — Difficulties  and 
dangers  of  the  Emigrants — James  Rogers  Clark — Takes  Kaskas- 
kias  and  Post  St.  Vincent’s — Battle  of  the  Blue  Licks — Expedi- 
tion of  Clark — Kentucky  a State — Gen’l.  Harmar’s  Expedi- 
tion— Gen’l.  St.  Clair’s  Defeat — Gen’l.  Wayne's  Victory — 
Treaty  of  Greenville — General  Peace. 

Before  we  attempt  to  sketch  the  early  religious 
history  of  Kentucky,  it  will  be  necessary,  for  the 
better  understanding  of  the  subject,  rapidly  to 
trace  the  chief  events  connected  with  the  first  set- 
tlement of  this  Commonwealth.  Our  plan  will 
call  for  and  permit  only  a very  brief  summary. 
Those  who  may  wish  a more  detailed  account  are 
referred  to  the  two  Histories  of  Kentucky  written 
by  Humphrey  Marshall  and  Mann  Butler.#  The 

* The  former  in  2 vols.  8vo. ; and  the  latter  in  1 vol.  12mo. 
The  edition  of  Marshall,  to  which  reference  may  be  made  in  the 
sequel,  is  that  of  Frankfort,  1821 : and  of  Butler,  that  of  Lou- 
isville, 1831. 


2 


INTRODUCTION. 


latter,  though  more  concise  than  his  predecessor, 
will  be  found  in  general  more  accurate,  more 
impartial,  more  learned,  and  more  satisfactory. 
His  style  also,  though  far  from  being  faultless,  or 
even  always  grammatical,  is  more  simple  and  in 
better  taste  than  that  of  Marshall,  who  often  indul- 
ges in  fustian  and  school-boy  declamation. 

Kentucky  is  the  oldest  of  all  the  States  west  of 
the  Alleghany  Mountains.  She  became  a State  and 
was  admitted  into  the  Union  in  1792,  four  years 
sooner  than  Tennessee,  and  ten  years  before  Ohio. 
The  first  hardy  adventurers  who  travelled  west- 
ward came  to  Kentucky;  and  the  first  Catholic 
missions  in  the  west,  if  we  except  those  at  the 
French  stations  on  the  Wabash  and  the  Mississip- 
pi, were  those  established  in  Kentucky.  So  that, 
both  in  a political  and  in  a religious  point  of  view, 
Kentucky  pioneered  the  way  for  the  other  western 
States  of  our  confederacy. 

Nor  does  the  interest  which  attaches  to  her  early 
history  stop  here.  This  history  is  rich  in  exam- 
ples of  lofty  daring,  hardy  adventure,  and  stirring 
incident.  It  tells  of  dangers  encountered,  and  of 
difficulties  overcome,  which  would  have  appalled 
the  stoutest  hearts.  It  speaks  of  the  deeds  of  an 
iron  race  of  pioneers,  now  fast  disappearing  from 
the  theatre  of  life,  who  fed  on  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers, as  their  daily  bread,  and  were  thus  nerved 
for  the  difficult  mission  they  had  to  accomplish. 
They  never  faltered  in  their  purpose  for  a moment, 
but  ceaselessly  marched  on,  planting  farther  and 
farther  in  the  unreclaimed  forests  the  outposts  of 
civilization.  When  Kentucky  had  been  settled 
by  a white  population,  we  find  many  of  them 
moving  still  farther  westward,  with  Daniel  Boone, 
never  satisfied  unless  their  houses  were  built  in 
the  vexy  midst  of  the  waving  forests ! 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


The  land  of  Kentucky — or,  as  the  Indians  call- 
ed it,  Kantuckee — seems  not,  within  the  memory 
of  the  white  man,  ever  to  have  been  permanently 
settled  by  any  Indian  tribe.  The  hunters  from 
North  Carolina  and  Virginia,  who  visited  it  after 
the  year  1767,  could  discover  no  trace  of  any  In- 
dian habitation.*  It  was  a kind  of  neutral  terri- 
tory, and  a common  hunting-ground  for  the  various 
Indian  tribes.  It  became  also,  from  this  very 
circumstance,  a great  Indian  battle-ground.  The 
Miamis,  Shawnees,  and  Illinois,  from  the  banks  of 
the  Miami,  the  Scioto,  and  the  Illinois  rivers,  of  the 
north;  and  the  Cherokes  and  Tuscaroras  from  the 
south,  repeatedly  met  and  struggled  for  the  maste- 
ry on  the  “Dark  and  Bloody  Ground.5’  Thus  it  hap- 
pened, that  the  various  Indian  tribes  successively 
swept  over  Kentucky,  leaving  no  trace  of  their 
passage  behind  them.  This  also  explains  to  us 
the  many  conflicting  claims  to  the  proprietorship 
of  its  territory  put  in  by  the  different  Indian 
nations. 

From  an  early  period  of  their  history,  the  In- 
dian tribes  of  the  northwest  had  been  seeking  to 
conquer  or  exterminate  one  another.  The  most 
powerful  of  these  was  the  great  confederation  of 
the  Five  Nations  of  New  York ; of  which  the 
Mohawks,  or  Iroquois — as  the  French  historians 
style  them — were  the  principal.  • Like  the  ancient 
Romans,  they  were  in  the  habit  of  incorporating 
into  their  own  body  the  various  tribes  whom 
they  successively  subdued.  They  gradually  ex- 
tended their  conquests  towards  the  west  and  the 
south.  As  early  as  1672,  after  having  subdued 

* Tn  the  beginning  of  his  first  volume  (p.  13,  seqq.,)  Mr.  Mar- 
shall indulges  in  a long  and  somewhat  rhapsodical  account  of 
the  Indian  “annals  of  Kentucky;”  Noah’s  Flood  being  the 
fifth  period  of  his  annals  ! ! This  is  one  way  to  write  history  ! 

B 


4 


INTRODUCTION. 


the  Indian  tribes  on  both  sides  of  Lake  Huron, 
they  had  conquered  the  Chawanons,  or  Shawnese, 
on  the  Illinois  river;  and  in  1685,  the  Twightees, 
subsequently  called  the  Miamis.  In  1711,  they 
conquered  and  incorporated  into  their  own  body 
the  Tuscaroras  of  the  south,  who  from  that  period 
constituted  the  sixth  nation  of  this  powerful  con- 
federacy^ 

This  confederation  claimed  by  right  of  conquest 
the  proprietorship  of  Kentucky,  and  of  all  the  lands 
lying  on  both  sides  of  the  Ohio  river.  Governor 
Pownal  testifies,  that  the  Six  Nations  were  in  ac- 
tual possession  of  all  these  lands  at  the  peace  of 
Ryswick,  in  1697.f  In  their  treaty  with  the  Brit- 
ish Colonies,  in  1744,  they  put  m this  claim.j 
They  had  already  put  themselves  and  their  vast 
territories  under  the  protection  of  the  British  go- 
vernment, in  the  year  1701,  and  again  in  1726:|| 
and  in  the  treaty  of  Fort  Stanwix,  in  1768,  they 
had  ceded  their  rights  to  the  British  government, 
for  the  sum  of  J10,46Q  7s.  6d.,paid  them  by  Dr. 
Franklin. 

Subsequently,  after  the  conclusion  of  the  French 
and  British  war  of  1755-1763,  the  Six  Nations 
seem  to  have  practically  relinquished  all  claim  to 
Kentucky  and  to  the  whole  territory  of  the  north- 
west. The  two  great  confederacies  of  the  Miamis 
and  of  the  Illinois  appear,  from  this  period,  to  have 
covered  the  entire  northwest,  from  the  banks  of  the 
Scioto  to  those  of  the  Mississippi.  The  former 
occupied  part  of  Ohio  and  the  whole  of  Indiana ; 
the  latter,  the  present  State  of  Illinois.  This  state- 

* Thatcher’s  4 ‘Lives  of  the  Indians,”  (p.  39)  quoted  by  Butler, 
p.  2.  Edit.  Louisville,  1834. 

t Report  of  Administration  of  British  Colonies — apud.  Butler 
page  3. 

J Franklin’s  Works,  vol,  iv.  p.  271.,  ||  Butler,  p.  4. 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


ment  is  confirmed  by  General  Harrison, # who 
farther  remarks,  that  the  Miamis  were  the  original 
occupants  of  the  soil,  and  that  the  other  tribes  were 
viewed  as  intruders.  The  Six  Nations  were  call- 
ed the  northern,  and  those  of  whom  we  have  just 
spoken,  the  western,  confederacy.  By  these  two 
powerful  confederations  the  minor  Indian  tribes 
were  either  successively  exterminated,  or  driven 
farther  into  the  wilderness. 

The  right  of  proprietorship  to  the  soil  of  Ken- 
tucky was  obtained  by  different  treaties  with  the 
Indian  tribes,  who  successively  laid  claim  to  it. 
The  principal  of  these  treaties  were  : that  of  Port 
Stanwix  with  the  Six  Nations,  in  1768,  already 
alluded  to  ; that  of  Lord  Dunmore  with  the  Shaw- 
nese,  in  1744;  and  that  of  Col.  Henderson  with 
the  Cherokees,  who  ceded  their  rights  to  the  soil, 
for  the  consideration  of  J-10,000,  in  the  year  1775. 
This  last  treaty  interfered  greatly  with  those  pre- 
viously made  ; and  the  conflicting  claims  which  it 
originated  were  a fruitful  source  of  litigation 
among  the  early  emigrants  to  Kentucky.  It  was 
finally  set  aside  and  declared  illegal  by  the  legisla- 
ture of  Virginia,  which  however,  by  way  of  com- 
pensation, assigned  ample  territory  to  the  Hender- 
son Land  Company,  in  the  northwestern  part  of 
Kentucky.f 

The  first  settlement  of  Kentucky  by  the  white 
people  was  commenced  under  circumstances  of 
great  difficulty  and  danger.  The  first  who  visited 
it  were  either  hunters  or  mere  roving  adventurers. 
As  early  as  the  year  1747,  Dr.  Walker  of  Virginia 
led  a party  of  hardy  adventurers  as  far  as  the 
banks  of  the  Cumberland  river,  a name  which  he 
gave  to  that  stream,  after  the  “bloody  Duke”ofEng- 

* In  his  reports  to  Sec’ry.  Armstrong,  1814.  Amer.  state  papers. 

tThe  present  county  of  Henderson  is  a portion  of  this  territory, 

c 


0 


INTRODUCTION. 


land,  ill  place  of  its  old  denomination  of  Sfyawanee. 
It  is  also  known,  that  in  the  year  1767,  the  country 
was  visited  by  John  Finley,  with  a party  of  hun- 
ters from  North  Carolina ; though  no  written  ac- 
count of  this  visit  has  been  preserved.  Its  only 
result  seems  to  have  been  to  stimulate  others  to 
enter  on  the  same  perilous  career  of  adventure. 

Among  those  to  whom  Finley  related  the  thrill- 
ing story  of  his  visit  to  this  hitherto  unexplored 
region,  was  a man,  whose  life  is  identified  with 
the  early  history  of  Kentucky,  and  whose  name 
shines  conspicuous  among  the  pioneers  of  the 
west.  For  bold  enterprise  and  lofty  daring  ; for 
unfaltering  courage  and  utter  contempt  of  danger ; 
for  firmness  of  purpose  arid  coolness  of  execution; 
for  all  the  qualities  necessary  for  a successful  pi- 
oneer, few  men  deserve  to  rank  higher  than  Daniel 
Boone.  He  was  the  very  man  for  the  emergency. 
His  soul  was  fired  with  the  prospect  opened  to 
him  by  the  relation  of  Finley ; and  he  entered 
upon  the  new  career  which  lay  before  him,  with 
all  the  ardour  of  his  soul — an  ardour  which  was 
however  qualified  by  the  cool  determination  to  do 
or  to  die. 

On  the  first  day  of  May,  1769,  Daniel  Boone, 
accompanied  by  John  Finley,  John  Stewart  and 
three  others,  left  his  residence  on  the  Yadkin 
river,  in  North  Carolina,  with  the  determination  to 
explore  Kentucky.  On  the  7th  of  June,  he  reach- 
ed Red  river,  a branch  of  the  Kentucky  river. 
From  an  eminence,  he  descried  the  beautiful 
level  of  Kentucky,  about  Lexington ; and  his  soul 
was  charmed  with  the  prospect.  He  represents 
the  whole  country  as  swarming  with  buffalo,  deer, 
elk,  and  all  kinds  of  game,  and  filled  with  wild 
beasts.  He  continued  hunting  with  his  com- 
panions until  the  22nd  of  December,  soon  after 
which  John  Stewart  was  killed  by  the  Indians; 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


7 


the  first  white  man  who  is  known  to  have  fallen 
by  their  hands  in  Kentucky.  His  comrades,  pro- 
bably alarmed  by  this  circumstance,  returned  to 
their  homes  in  North  Carolina ; but  Daniel  Boone, 
with  his  brother  who  had  lately  come  out,  remain- 
ed in  Kentucky  during  the  winter.  He  pitched 
his  camp  on  a creek  in  the  present  Estill  county, 
called,  from  this  circumstance,  Station  Camp 
Creek.  Here  he  continued  until  the  following 
May,  undisturbed  by  the  Indians,  who  seldom  vis- 
ited Kentucky  in  the  winter. # He  then  returned 
to  his  friends  on  Yadkin  river. 

In  this  same  year,  1769,  Col.  James  Knox  led 
out  a party  of  about  forty  hunters  through  the  un- 
explored regions  of  Tennessee  and  Kentucky.  In 
Kentucky,  nine  of  this  party  penetrated  as  far  as 
the  Green  and  Cumberland  rivers,  and  were  de- 
signated “the  Long  Hunteis,”  from  the  length  of 
time  they  were  absent  from  their  homes. f 

The  bounty  lands  awarded  by  the  British  go- 
vernment to  those  who  had  served  in  the  war 
against  the  French,  furnished  another  keen  incen- 
tive to  emigration;  For,  though  the  royal  procla- 
mation granting  the  bounty,  forbade  that  the  lands 
should  be  laid  off  on  the  Ohio  river,  yet  its  prohi- 
bition was  disregarded.  Surveyors,  employed  by 
the  claimants  of  these  bounty  lands,  penetrated  to 
all  parts  of  Kentucky.  The  most  conspicuous  of 
these  land  surveyors  were  Thomas  Bullit  and  Han- 
cock Taylor,  who  came  out  to  Kentucky  from 
Virginia,  in  1773.  On  their  route  they  were  over- 
taken by  the  M’Afees,  whose  names  are  so  closely 
connected  with  the  history  of  the  early  settlement 

* See  Boone’s  Narrative,  written  from  his  dictation,  by  John 
Filson,  in  1784:  and  Butler,  p.  18.  seqq. 

t Butler,  pp.  18-19. 


8 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  our  State.*  Bullit  was  elected  Captain  of  the 
party,  which  proceeded  to  mark  off  the  site  of  the 
present  city  of  Louisville,  in  August,  1773. 

During  the  same  year,  James  Douglass,  another 
surveyor,  visited  Kentucky.  He  was  the  first 
man  who  discovered  the  celebrated  collection  of 
mammoth  bones,  in  the  place  known  since  by  the 
name  of  the  Big  Bone  Lick.  “Douglass  formed 
his  tent  poles  of  the  ribs  of  some  of  the  enormous 
animals,  which  formerly  frequented  this  remarka- 
ble spot,  and  on  these  ribs  blankets  were  stretched 
for  a shelter  from  the  sun  and  the  rain.  Many 
teeth  were  from  eight  to  nine,  and  some  ten  feet 
in  length  ; one  in  particular  was  fastened  in  a per- 
pendicular direction  in  the  clay  and  mud,  with  the 
end  six  feet  above  the  surface  of  the  ground ; an 
effort  was  made  by  six  men  in  vain  to  extract  it 
from  its  mortise.  The  lick  extended  to  about  ten 
acres  of  land,  bare  of  timber,  and  of  grass  or  herb- 
age ; much  trodden,  eaten,  and  depressed  below 
the  original  surface,  with  here  and  there  a knob 
remaining  to  show  its  former  elevation.”*)* 

About  the  year  1774,  another  surveyor,  Simon 
Kenton,  with  two  companions,  landed  a few  miles 
above  Maysville,  or  Limestone , as  it  was  then  call- 
ed. This  party  penetrated  to  May’s  Lick,  and 
visited  the  Upper  and  Lower  Blue  Licks.  They 
saw  immense  herds  of  Buffalo,  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  licks.  On  returning  to  his  camp,  near 
May’s  Lick,  from  one  of  his  exploring  expeditions, 
Kenton  found  it  sacked  and  burned  by  the  In- 
dians ; and,  at  a little  distance  from  it,  he  discovered 
the  mangled  remains  of  Hendricks,  one  of  his  com- 

* For  an  interesting  account  of  the  adventures  of  the  McAfees, 
in  Kentucky,  see  Butler,  p.  22.  segg.  His  account  is  drawn  from 
the  M‘Afee  papers,  to  which  he  had  access. 

t Butler,  p.  22. 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


9 


panions,  who  had  been  tied  to  a stake  and  burned. 
He  was  the  first  and  the  last  white  man  who  suf- 
fered this  cruel  manner  of  death  at  the  hands  of  the 
Indians  on  the  soil  of  Kentucky.# 

The  parties  who  had  hitherto  visited  Kentucky 
were  either  hunters,  land  surveyors,  or  mere  ad- 
venturers. ,No  attempt  had  as  yet  been  made  to 
settle  down  on  the  soil  and  to  establish  regular  co- 
lonies. On  the  25th  of  September,  1773,  Daniel 
Boone  attempted  to  remove  five  families  to  Ken- 
tucky, with  a view  to  their  permanent  location  in 
the  territory  which  he  had  already  explored.  But 
he  had  not  advanced  far  when,  according  to  his 
own  account,  “the  rear  of  his  company  was  attack- 
ed by  the  Indians,  who  killed  six  men  and  wound- 
ed one.”f  The  party  returned  to  their  homes,  in 
North  Carolina,  and  the  attempt  was  given  over 
for  the  present. 

Another  hardy  adventurer  from  Virginia,  was 
more  fortunate.  James  Harrod  came  out  to  Ken- 
tucky with  several  families,  in  the  year  1774.  He 
built  the  first  log  cabin  in  Kentucky,  on  the  site  of 
the  present  town  of  Harrodsburgh,  then  called 
Harrod’s  Town.  This  colony  was  soon  dispersed 
by  the  Indians  ; but,  after  a brief  interval,  it  was 
re-established  under  more  favourable  auspices.^ 

Early  in  1775,  Daniel  Boone  again  visited  Ken- 
tucky, in  the  capacity  of  guide  to  a party  sent  out 
by  the  Henderson  Land  Company,  which  had 
purchased  the  Cherokee  title  to  all  the  lands  south 
of  the  Kentucky  river.  The  party  was  often  at- 
tacked by  the  Indians,  but  finally  succeeded  in 
reaching  the  Kentucky  river.  To  protect  them- 
selves from  Indian  invasion,  they  immediately  set 
about  erecting  a fort,  which  was  called  Boonesbo- 


* Butler,  p.  23-4. 


fid.  p.  29. 


\ Id.  p.  26. 


10 


INTRODUCTION. 


rough.  It  was  commenced  on  the  1st  of  April  of 
that  year,  and  completed  on  the  14th  of  June  fol- 
lowing. This  was  the  first  fort  erected  in  Ken- 
tucky. It  consisted  of  a stockade,  with  block 
houses  at  the  four  angles  of  the  quadrangular  in- 
closure.* 

The  next  fort  erected  was  that  at  Harrod’s 
Town.  The  colony  in  the  vicinity  of  this  place 
had  been  greatly  sterngthened  by  a party  led  out 
from  North  Carolina,  by  Hugh  M‘Gary,  in  the  fall 
of  1775.  At  Powell’s  valley  he  had  united  his 
party  to  another  conducted  by  Daniel  Boone  ; and 
the  whole  body  numbered  twenty-seven  guns , or 
fighting  men,  besides  women  and  children.  The 
parties  again  divided  on  reaching  Dick’s  river ; 
that  under  Boone  repairing  to  Boonesborough,  and 
that  under  M’Gary,  to  Harrod’s  Town.  The  fort 
in  this  latter  place  was  commenced  in  the  winter 
of  1775-6.+ 

Wherever  a colony  was  planted,  there  a fort  was 
also  erected,  as  a protection  against  the  Indians. 
They  were  called  Stations.  These  multiplied  in 
proportion  as  the  new  territory  became  settled. 
The  principal  and  most  ancient  of  them,  besides 
those  already  named,  were:  Logan’s  Station,  es- 
tablished by  Col.  Benjamin  Logan,  about  the  same 
year  as  that  at  Harrod’s  Town,  at  the  distance  of 
one  mile  from  the  present  town  of  Stanford,  in 
Lincoln  county ; Bryant’s  Station,  about  twelve 
miles  from  Lexington  ; Floyd’s  Station,  on  Bear- 
grass  Creek,  about  six  miles  from  Louisville,  and 
another  at  Lexington. 

Many  were  the  difficulties  and  terrible  the  dan- 
gers encountered  by  the  first  emigrants  to  Ken- 
tucky. They  carried  their  lives  in  their  hands  : 


* Butler,  p.  27. 


Id.  p.  29.  scq. 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


11 


the  Indians  gave  them  no  rest  day  or  night.  From 
the  date  of  the  first  settlement  in  1774,  to  that  of 
Wayne’s  decisive  victory  and  the  subsequent  treaty 
of  Greenville,  in  1795 — a period  of  twenty-one 
years — Kentucky  was  a continual  battle-ground 
between  the  whites  and  the  Indians,  the  latter 
ceaselessly  endeavouring  to  break  up  the  colonies, 
and  the  former  struggling  to  maintain  their  posi- 
tion. The  savages  viewed  with  an  evil  eye  the 
encroachment  on  their  favourite  hunting  grounds, 
and  employed  every  effort  to  dislodge  the  new 
comers.  To  effect  their  purpose,  they  resorted  to 
eveiy  means  of  stratagem  and  of  open  warfare. 
Their  principal  efforts  were,  however,  directed 
against  the  forts,  which  they  rightly  viewed  as 
the  rallying  points  of  the  emigrants.  For  nearly 
four  years  they  besieged,  at  brief  intervals,  the  forts 
of  Harrod’s  Town  and  Boonesborough,  especially 
the  former,  which  they  made  almost  superhuman 
exertion  to  break  up. 

The  colonists  were  often  reduced  to  the  greatest 
straits.  Their  provisions  were  exhausted,  and  all 
means  of  obtaining  a new  supply  seemed  hopeless- 
ly cut  off.  Their  chief  resource  lay  in  the  game 
with  which  the  forests  abounded.  But  hunting 
was  hazardous  in  the  extreme,  while  their  wily 
enemies  lay  in  ambush  in  the  vicinity  of  the  forts. 
The  hunters  were  often  shot  down,  or  dragged 
into  a dreadful  captivity,  with  the  prospect  of  be- 
ing burned  at  the  stake,  staring  them  in  the  face. 
Did  they  attempt  to  cultivate  the  soil,  the  husband- 
men were  often  attacked  by  the  Indians.  The 
labourers  in  the  field  were  under  the  necessity  of 
being  constantly  armed : they  were  generally  di- 
vided into  two  parties,  one  of  which  kept  guard, 
while  the  other  cultivated  the  soil.  But  during 
the  four  years’  siege,  above  referred  to,  even  this 


12 


INTRODUCTION. 


method  of  tilling  the  land  became  too  hazardous, 
and  was , at  least  to  a great  extent,  abandoned. 

Besides,  their  ammunition  was  often  exhausted, 
and  the  obtaining  of  a new  supply  was  extremely 
difficult  and  dangerous.  The  road  to  the  old  set- 
tlements lay  through  a wilderness  beset  with  lurk- 
ing savages.  All  these  difficulties  taken  together, 
became  truly  appalling.  Still  the  hardy  pioneers 
were  not  cast  down.  They  were  struggling  for 
their  new  homes,  for  their  families,  for  their  very 
existence.  Prodigies  of  valour  were  achieved  by 
individuals,  and  by  small  parties,  to  detail  which 
would  greatly  exceed  the  limits  of  this  brief  sum- 
mary.# It  was  the  heroic  age  of  Kentucky. 

But  the  rude  military  tactics  of  the  savage  could 
not  cope  with  the  superior  organization  and  higher 
civilization  of  the  white  man.  Succours  contin- 
ued to  pour  into  the  stations,  from  Virginia,  North 
Carolina  and  Maryland,  in  spite  of  all  Indian  op- 
position. In  1775,  there  arrived  in  Harrod’s  Town 
a man  who  was  destined  to  exercise  a powerful 
influence  on  the  rising  destinies  of  Kentucky  and 
of  the  whole  west.  James  Rogers  Clark  was  a 
native  of  Virginia,  whence  he  emigrated  to  join 
the  bands  of  hardy  adventurers  who  were  seeking 
their  fortunes  in  the  west.  He  was  young,  bold, 
and  adventurous ; was  active  in  body  and  mind ; 
and  was  gifted  with  great  coolness,  forecast,  and 
military  talent. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year,  1775,  Clark  returned  to 
Virginia,  but  he  revisited  Harrod’s  Town  in  the 
following  spring.  A meeting  of  the  citizens  was 
held,  and  he  and  Gabriel  John  Jones  were  ap- 
pointed delegates  to  the  legislature  of  Virginia. 

* We  refer  those  who  may  wish  to  see  more  on  this  interesting 
subject,  to  the  two  histories  of  Kentucky  aboved  named. 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


13 

They  succeeded  in  obtaining  from  the  Governor 
and  Council  of  that  Commonwealth  a loan  of  500 
pounds  of  gunpowder,  which  Clark  was  charged 
to  transport  to  Harrod’s  Town.  Clark  executed 
this  difficult  commission  with  wonderful  intrepidi- 
ty and  success.  After  having  been  pursued 
through  almost  the  entire  journey  by  the  Indians, 
who  compelled  him  to  conceal  the  gunpowder  for 
some  time  near  Maysville,  or  Limestone,  he  final- 
ly succeeded  in  delivering  it  safely  at  Harrod’s 
Town.  The  drooping  spirits  of  the  garrison  rallied 
on  receiving  this  most  fortunate  supply,  which, 
had  it  fallen  into  the  hands  of  their  enemies,  would 
have  been  employed  for  their  destruction. 

The  active  mind  of  Clark  soon  led  him  to  the 
conviction,  that  unless  some  decisive  blow  were 
struck,  the  infant  colonies  could  not  hope  long  to 
struggle  successfully  against  their  savage  invaders. 
He  determined  to  carry  the  war  into  the  heart  of 
their  own  territory,  and  to  wrest,  if  possible,  from 
the  hands  of  the  British  the  military  stations  of 
Kaskaskias  and  St.  Yincents,  or  Post  Vincennes. 
These  his  quick  eye  soon  discovered  were  the 
great  rallying  points  of  the  Indian  invaders.  Ac- 
cordingly, he  obtained  a ColonePs  commission 
from  the  Commonwealth  of  Virginia,  with  men 
and  military  supplies  for  the  expedition.  The 
commission  was  dated  January  2nd,  1778.  It  was 
drawn  up  by  Patrick  Henry,  then  Governor  of 
Virginia,  who  gave  Colonol  Clark  Wo  sets  of  in- 
structions : one  public,  ordering  him  to  repair  to 
Kentucky  for  its  defence ; and  the  other  private, 
directing  an  attack  on  the  British  Post  of  Kaskas- 
kias. The  war  of  the  Revolution  was  then  raging; 
and  the  success  or  failure  of  Clark’s  expedition 
was  destined  to  have  an  important  bearing  on  the 
question,  whether  Great  Britain  or  the  United 


J 4 


INTRODUCTION. 


States  should  be  able  to  claim  the  proprietorship  of 
the  northwest. 

Col.  Clark  showed  by  his  conduct  that  the  con- 
fidence reposed  in  him  was  not  ill-placed.  He 
conducted  the  expedition  with  singular  prudence 
and  secrecy.  He  landed  his  small  army  near  fort 
Massac,  on  the  Ohio  river;  marched  through  Illi- 
nois; and,  on  the  fourth  of  July,  1778,  he  took 
Kaskaskias  by  surprise,  without  shedding  a drop 
of  blood  ! On  the  sixth  of  July,  he  detached  Col. 
Bowman  with  a company  of  men,  who  surprised 
and  captured  the  neighbouring  military  post  of 
Cahokias.# 

Col.  Clark  determined  to  follow  up  the  advan- 
tages thus  secured.  After  a long  and  painful 
march  through  Illinois,  in  the  most  inclement 
season  of  the  year,  he  appeared,  on  the  23rd  of 
February,  1779,  with  170  men,  before  Post  St. 
Vincent’s,  on  the  Wabash,  then  also  in  possession 
of  the  British.  He  compelled  the  British  com- 
mandant, Hamilton,  to  surrender  at  discretion,  af- 
ter a slight  previous  skirmishing,  f Thus  were 
the  British  driven  from  the  northwest,  by  a mere 
handful  of  men,  under  a gallant  and  skillful  com- 
mander. And  thus  also  were  the  great  centres  of 
Indian  invasion  broken  up. 

Still,  notwithstanding  this  terrible  blow  struck 
in  their  strongest  rallying  points  of  the  northwest, 
the  Indians,  especially  the  Miamis  and  the  Shaw- 
nese,  continued  to  carry  on  the  war  with  una- 
bated fury,  against  the  white  settlers  of  Kentucky. 

* We  have  condensed  the  detailed  statement  of  Butler,  de- 
rived from  the  papers  of  Gen’l.  Clark,  p.  48.  seqq. 

t For  a full  account  of  this  remaikable  expedition,  see  Butler, 
p.  81.  seqq.;  and  for  a more  detailed  and  interesting  one  still, 
see  Judge  Law’s  able  discourse,  delivered  before  the  “Vincennes 
Historical  Society,”  on  the  22nd  of  Feb.  1839,  p.  31.  seqq. 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


15 


They  united  their  forces  at  Chilicothe,  and  deter- 
mined to  strike  one  more  blow  for  the  recovery  of 
their  favourite  hunting  grounds,  which  they  beheld 
fast  escaping  from  their  grasp. 

On  the  14th  of  August,  1782,  an  army  of  about 
500  warriors  suddenly  appeared  before  Bryant’s 
Station,  twelve  miles  from  Lexington.  So  cau- 
tious had  been  their  movements,  that  they  made 
their  appearance  in  the  very  heart  of  Kentucky 
without  exciting  any  alarm.  They  closely  en- 
compassed the  place,  killing  or  driving  away  the 
cattle  and  horses,  and  shooting  down  or  taking 
prisoners  chance  stragglers  from  the  station.  The 
siege  continued  for  only  two  days ; for  happily 
on  the  first  appearance  of  the  savages,  a few  intre- 
pid men  had  escaped,  who  carried  the  alarm  to  the 
neighbouring  stations  of  Lexington,  Boonesbo- 
rough,  and  Harrod’s  Town ; and  also  to  Logan’s 
Station.  So  prompt  were  the  movements  of  the 
men  in  these  stations,  for  the  succour  of  their 
brethren,  that  on  the  18th  of  August,  a force  of 
182  chosen  men  from  Lexington,  Boonesborough, 
and  Harrod’s  Town,  assembled  at  Bryant’s  Sta- 
tion. The  Indians,  anticipating,  or  cognizant  of 
this  movement,  had  already  fled.  They  were 
hotly  pursued  to  the  Lower  Blue  Licks,  a distance 
of  about  40  miles,  where  they  were  speedily  over- 
taken. Daniel  Boone  and  some  other  officers, 
fearing  an  ambuscade,  endeavoured  to  check  the 
ardour  of  the  pursuit,  in  order  to  await  the  arrival 
of  reinforcements  under  Col.  Benjamin  Logan 
from  Logan’s  Station.  But  this  wise  course  was 
prevented  by  the  imprudent  impetuosity  of  Major 
Hugh  M’Gary,  who,  plunging  his  horse  into  Lick- 
ing river,  cried  out,  with  a loud  voice,  that  “all 
who  were  not  cowards  should  follow  him,  and  he 
would  show  them  where  the  Indians  were.” 


16 


INTRODUCTION. 


The  whole  body  of  the  pursuers  shared  in  his 
impetuosity,  and  followed  after  him  in  disorder. 
But  they  had  not  advanced  more  than  a mile, 
when  they  received,  throughout  their  whole  front 
line,  a murderous  volley  from  the  Indians,  who 
lay  concealed  in  a deep  ravine,  extending  on  both 
sides  of  the  road  at  right  angles  to  it.  The  ranks 
of  the  white  men  were  thrown  into  confusion, 
and,  though  they  fought  with  desperation,  could 
not  withstand  the  assault  for  more  than  a few  min- 
utes. They  fled  precipitately,  the  Indians  fol- 
lowing them  with  loud  shouts  and  uplifted  toma- 
hawks. Many  were  killed  in  the  attempt  to  re- 
cross Licking  river.  The  route  was  complete,  and 
the  Indians  pursued  them  for  many  miles,  killing 
or  taking  prisoners  the  straggling  parties  whom 
they  were  able  to  overtake. 

Never,  in  the  whole  annals  of  Indian  warfare  in 
Kentucky,  had  the  white  people  experienced  so 
overwhelming  a defeat.  Besides  the  wounded, 
about  sixty  of  them  were  killed,  and  seven  taken 
prisoners ; most  of  them  from  Harrod’s  Station. 
Among  the  slain  were  Col.  Todd  from  Lexington, 
and  Majors  Trigg,  M’Bride,  and  Harland,  from 
Harrod’s  Town.  Major  M’Gary  escaped. 

Shortly  after  the  action,  Col.  Benjamin  Logan 
reached  the  battle  ground  with  450  chosen  men ; 
but  only  in  time  to  bury  the  mangled  bodies  of 
the  dead.  The  Indians  had  already  fled  into  the 
interior  of  Ohio.  Had  the  pursuing  army  patient- 
ly awaited  his  arrival,  the  disastrous  defeat  of  the 
Blue  Licks  might  never  have  occurred.  But  petty 
jealousies  among  the  officers,  and  their  desire  to 
win  the  laurels  of  victory  without  the  presence 
and  assistance  of  their  senior  officer,  Col.  Logan, 
prevented  their  taking  the  prudent  advice  of 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


IT 


Daniel  Boone : and  bitterly  did  they  me  their  rash- 
ness, when  it  was  too  late.# 

In  the  midst  of  the  despondency  occasioned  by 
this  ruinous  defeat,  all  eyes  were  turned  on  Col. 
James  Rogers  Clark,  who  had  recently  been  pro- 
moted to  the  rank  of  General.  He  immediately 
called  a meeting  of  the  superior  officers,  at  the 
Falls  of  the  Ohio  river;  and  it  was  unanimously 
resolved  to  organize  a large  body  of  mounted 
riflemen,  for  the  purpose  of  attacking  the  Indian 
towns  in  the  interior  of  Ohio. 

On  the  last  day  of  September,  1782,  1000 
mounted  riflemen  appeared  at  the  appointed  place 
of  rendezvous,  the  mouth  of  Licking  river,  under 
the  command  of  Cols.  Floyd  and  Logan,  who 
were  the  officers  next  in  rank  to  General  Clark. 
The  expedition  proceeded  with  great  secrecy  to 
the  neighbourhood  of  Chilicothe.  But  some  In- 
dian stragglers  had  already  communicated  the 
alarm ; and  on  the  approach  of  the  army,  the  In- 
dian towns  were  found  already  evacuated.  The 
expedition  was  enabled  only  to  burn  the  towns  and 
to  destroy  the  Indian  crops ; after  which  the  sol- 
diers returned  to  their  respective  stations  in  Ken- 
tucky, f 

Notwithstanding  the  constant  attacks  of  the 
savages,  and  all  the  horrors  of  Indian  warfare,  the 
white  population  continued  to  pour  into  Kentucky. 
But  seven  years  had  elapsed  since  the  first  at- 
tempt to  colonize  the  country,  and  already,  with 
little  more  than  a month’s  warning,  the  infant  co- 
lonies could  send  into  the  field  1000  mounted 
men.  The  white  population  continued  to  increase 
so  rapidly,  that  in  less  than  ten  years  from  the  date 

* See,  for  a more  detailed  account  of  this  battle,  Butler,  p. 
125.  seqq.  t Id.  p.  131.  seqq. 


18 


INTRODUCTION. 


of  the  battle  of  the  Blue  Licks,  Kentucky,  which 
had  hitherto  been  a mere  county  dependent  on 
Virginia,  was  strong  enough  to  claim  admission 
into  the  Union,  as  a separate  State.  The  applica- 
tion was  first  made  in  1790;  but  the  convention 
of  deligates  for  framing  the  new  State  Constitu- 
tion was  able  to  close  its  labours  only  on  the  first 
of  June,  1792.  At  this  latter  date  Kentucky  was 
recognized  as  an  independent  Commonwealths 
She  was  the  first  addition  to  the  venerable  thir- 
teen, who  had  gloriously  fought  the  battles  of  In- 
dependence. 

This  war  had  come  to  a triumphant  termination 
in  1782 — the  same  year  that  the  battle  of  the  Blue 
Licks  was  fought.  The  United  States,  now  freed 
from  all  apprehensions  from  a foreign  foe,  had  time 
to  breathe,  and  to  devise  measures  for  the  protec- 
tion of  the  west  from  Indian  invasion.  In  the 
year  1790,  the  United  States  government  commis- 
sioned General  Harmar,  with  320  regular  troops 
under  his  command,  to  prosecute  the  Indian  war 
in  the  northwest.  In  the  west,  his  army  was  join- 
ed by  a much  larger  body  of  militia  and  volun- 
teers; and  the  expedition  marched  from  Fort 
Washington — the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Cin- 
cinnati— on  the  30th  of  Sept.  1790.  The  Miamis 
were  the  first  objects  of  attack. 

But  General  Harmar  was  unskilled  in  the  tac- 
tics of  Indian  warfare ; and  he  was  too  confident 
in  his  own  opinions  to  listen  to  the  advice  of  his 
western  subalterns  in  command.  He  proceeded 
against  the  Indians  according  to  the  rules  of  regu- 
lar warfare.  The  savages  outgeneralled  him, 
and  his  expedition  turned  out  a complete  failure. 
After  a few  month’s  campaign,  the  troops  under 


* Butler,  p.  211. 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


19 


his  comand  returned  to  Fort  Washington,  with- 
out having  effected  anything,  except  the  destruc- 
tion of  the  Indian  towns  and  provisions!#  In  this 
expedition  Col.  Hardin  from  Kentucky  signalized 
his  bravery  in  many  sharp  skirmishes  with  parties 
of  the  Indians. 

On  the  failure  of  Gen’l.  Harmar’s  expedition, 
the  veteran,  Gen’l.  Arthur  St.  Clair,  was  appoint- 
ed to  the  command  of  the  American  army  of  ope- 
rations against  the  Indians.  He  had  fought  brave- 
ly in  the  war  of  the  Revolution ; but  was  now  old 
and  infirm.  So  far  was  he  disabled,  in  fact,  that 
he  was  carried  on  the  march  in  a litter.  He  had 
under  his  command  about  3000  men,  nearly  half 
of  whom  were  regulars.  He  marched  in  good 
order  to  the  Indian  towns : but  on  the  memora- 
ble 4th  of  November,  1791,  his  army  was  sudden- 
ly attacked  and  defeated,  with  dreadful  slaughter, 
by  the  Miamis.  His  troops  were  completely  rout- 
ed, and  the  retreat  was  a precipitate  flight.  Many 
of  the  soldiers  threw  away  their  arms ; and  the 
army  left  in  the  hands  of  the  Indians  their  bag- 
gage, artillery,  and  munitions  of  war.  So  disas- 
trous a defeat  had  never  yet  occurred  in  the  annals 
of  Indian  warfare  in  the  west.f 

So  far  the  Indians  had  triumphed,  even  over  the 
regular  forces  of  the  United  States.  They  clung 
with  tenacity  to  the  cherished  tombs  of  their  fa- 
thers ; and  were  prepared  to  resist  to  the  utmost 
all  attempts  of  the  white  man  to  encroach  on  their 
territory.  Can  any  one  blame  them  for  thus  gal- 
lantly defending  their  own  lands  and  firesides? 

A deep  gloom  overspread  the  frontier  settlements 
of  the  west.  All  were  alarmed  at  the  prospect  of 
a dreadful  Indian  invasion,  with  its  attendant  hor- 

* Butler,  p.  191.  seqq.  t Id.  p.  203.  seqq. 

D 


20 


INTRODUCTION. 


rors.  The  terrible  war-whoop  seemed  already  to 
ring  in  their  ears : and  the  fond  mother  pressed 
her  infant  more  warmly  to  her  bosom,  as  she  re- 
flected that  perhaps  on  the  morrow  its  brains  might 
be  dashed  out  by  the  ruthless  savage,  and  her 
own  head  scalped  or  riven  by  the  knife  or  toma- 
hawk. The  long  years  of  bitter  struggle  with  the 
Indians  had  proved,  that  these  terrors  were  not 
wholly  without  foundation. 

In  this  emergency,  the  United  States  govern- 
ment at  length  selected  a man  who  was  adequate 
to  the  undertaking  of  putting  an  end  to  the  Indian 
War,  and  of  thus  effectually  protecting  the  west- 
ern settlements.  Gen’l.  Anthony  Wayne,  an  offi- 
cer of  the  Revolution,  combined  great  coolness  of 
purpose  with  that  impetuosity  of  bravery,  which 
had  already  obtained  for  him  the  soubriquet  of 
“ Mad  Anthony .” 

This  brave  and  experienced  officer  marched, 
during  the  winter  of  1793,  to  the  scene  of  Gen’l. 
St.  Clair’s  disastrous  defeat.  He  re-occupied  it, 
and  on  its  site  erected  a fort,  which  he  called  Fort 
Recovery.  In  the  summer  of  1794  he  was  joined 
by  about  1600  Kentucky  volunteers,  under  Gen’l. 
Scott : and  he  then  found  himself  in  command  of 
about  3200  troops,  one  half  of  whom  were  regu- 
lars. He  was  unremitting  in  his  labors,  to  train 
his  army  to  all  the  subtle  tactics  of  Indian  warfare. 
He  caused  them  to  sleep  on  their  arms;  and 
during  the  night,  he  often  had  them  aroused  by 
feigned  surprises  from  the  Indians.  The  troops 
were  thus  schooled  to  the  vicissitudes  of  an  Indian 
campaign. 

After  having  sufficiently  trained  his  men,  and 
engaged  in  several  skirmishes  with  the  savages,  he 
marched  his  forces  to  the  principal  Indian  settle- 
ments, at  the  confluence  of  the  Au  Glaize  and 


HISTORICAL  SUMMARY. 


21 


Maumee  rivers.  Here  he  attempted  a surprise,  but 
without  effect,  the  Indians  having  already  fled. 
He  continued  his  march  to  the  Rapids  of  the  Mau- 
mee, where,  on  the  20th  of  August,  1794,  he  en- 
countered the  whole  Indian  force.  A great  and 
decisive  engagement  ensued,  which,  after  a short 
contest,  resulted  in  a complete  victory  for  the 
Americans.  The  power  of  the  Indians  was  broken 
overwhelmingly,  and,  as  the  event  proved,  for 
ever.# 

In  the  following  year,  1795,  the  great  Treaty  of 
Greenville  secured  a permanent  peace  between  the 
Indians  and  the  white  men,  and  protected  the  lat- 
ter from  all  fear  of  further  invasion.  After  this 
treaty,  the  Indians  made  few  more  struggles  for 
their  territory,  which  they  beheld  fast  escaping 
from  their  hands.  They  sullenly  yielded  to  their 
fate,  and  gradually  melted  away,  before  the  march 
of  civilization ,(/)  leaving  the  graves  of  their  fathers 
behind  them.  Thus  terminated  the  Indian  bor- 
der wars  of  the  northwest. 

♦Butler,  p.  235.  seqq. 
d2 


CHAPTER  II. 


The  Early  Catholic  Emigrants  to  Kentucky . 


Glowing  reports  of  the  Pioneers — Virginia  and  Maryland  in 
motion  towards  the  West — The  first  Catholic  Emigrants  to  Ken- 
tucky— Dr.  Hart — Wm.  Coomes — The  first  Physician  and  the 
first  School — The  Successive  Catholic  colonies — Dangers  on  the 
way — Piunning  the  gauntlet — Indian  attacks— Death  of  Mc- 
Manus, of  Cox,  and  of  Buckman — The  Savages  and  the  Cross — 
Thrilling  incident  of  the  Late  War — Mode  of  procuring  salt — 
Domestic  manners  of  the  Early  Emigrants  to  Kentucky — Furni- 
ture, food,  and  apparel — Hospitality — Singular  adventures  and 
hair-breadth  escapes  of  William  Coomes — Incidents  in  the  early 
history  of  Harrod’s  Town. 

The  reports  carried  back  to  Virginia  and  Mary- 
land, by  the  first  adventurers  who  had  visited 
Kentucky,  were  of  so  glowing  a character  as  to 
stimulate  many  others  to  emigrate  thither.  The 
new  country  was  represented  as  a sort  of  promised 
land,  with  an  exuberant  and  fertile  soil ; and,  if 
not  flowing  with  milk  and  honey,  at  least  teeming 
with  all  kinds  of  wild  game.  This  rich  country 
now  lay  open  to  the  enterprising  activity  of  the 
white  man ; its  fertile  lands  could  be  obtained  by 
occupation,  or  purchased  for  a mere  trifle ; and  the 
emigrants  mighfsubsist,  like  the  Indians,  by  hunt- 
ing, until  the  soil  could  be  prepared  for  cultivation. 

To  be  sure,  dangers  were  to  be  encountered  on 
the  way  to  this  beautiful  region;  and  these  dan- 
gers would  perhaps  increase,  after  the  emigrant 
should  be  able  to  settle  down  at  his  new  home. 
The  reports  of  the  first  pioneers  were  interspersed 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


23 


with  tales  of  horror  concerning  those  who  had 
been  killed  and  scalped  by  the  Indians,  or  who 
had  been  dragged  into  captivity  and  mercilessly 
burnt  at  the  stake.  But  these  frightful  narratives, 
however  much  they  grated  on  the  ear,  could  not 
quench,  or  even  check  to  any  great  extent,  the 
growing  spirit  of  adventure.  Men  and  women, 
young  and  old,  caught  up  this  spirit ; and  soon 
nearly  half  of  Virginia  and  Maryland  was  in  mo- 
tion for  the  west.  In  the  brief  space  of  seventeen 
years — between  1775  and  1792 — Kentucky,  from 
being  a vast  unreclaimed  wilderness,  became  a 
state  of  the  Union ! 

The  Catholic  population  of  Kentucky  emigrated 
almost  entirely  from  Maryland ; chiefly  from  St. 
Mary’s  Charles’,  and  Prince  George’s  Counties. 
They  were  descendents  of  the  good  old  Colonists 
of  Lord  Baltimore.  Maryland  was,  in  every  re- 
spect, the  great  alma  mater  of  the  Catholics  of 
Kentucky.  She  supplied  them  with  people  from 
her  superabundant  population ; and  she  too  sent 
out  the  first  missionaries  who  broke  to  them  the 
bread  of  life. 

The  first  Catholics  who  are  known  to  have  emi  - 
grated  to  our  State,  were  Wm.  Coomes  and  family, 
and  Dr.  Hart.  They  both  came  out  in  the  spring 
of  1775,  among  the  very  first  white  people  who 
removed  to  Kentucky.  They  settled  in  Harrod’s 
station,  at  that  time  the  only  place  in  Kentucky, 
except  Boonesborough  and  perhaps  Logan’s  sta- 
tion, where  emigrants  could  enjoy  any  degree  of 
security  from  the  attacks  of  the  Indians. 

Dr.  Hart  Avas  an  exemplary  Irish  Catholic.  He 
Avas  one  of  the  first  physicians,  if  not  the  very  first 
of  the  profession,  Avho  settled  in  Kentucky.  He 
lived  for  many  years  in  Harrod’s  ToAvn,  Avhere  he 
was  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  After 
d 3 


24  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

the  great  body  of  the  Catholics  had  located  them- 
selves in  the  vicinity  of  Bardstown,  he  too  re- 
moved thither,  in  order  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of 
his  religion.  He  purchased  a farm  about  a mile 
from  Bardstown,  embracing  the  site  of  the  present 
burial-ground  of  St.  Joseph’s  congregation.  It 
was  he  who  made  a present  to  the  church  of  this 
lot  of  ground,  upon  which  old  St.  Joseph’s  church 
was  erected.  Towards  the  building  of  this,  one 
among  the  oldest  Catholic  churches  of  Ken- 
tucky, he  also  liberally  contributed.  He  was  the 
first  Catholic  who  died  in  Kentucky,  and  the  first 
that  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  which  himself 
had  bestowed. 

William  Coomes  was  originally  from  Charles  co., 
Maryland,  whence  he  had  removed  to  the  south 
branch  of  the  Potomac  river,  in  Virginia.  He  em- 
igrated to  Kentucky,  with  his  family,  togetherwith 
Abraham  and  Isaac  Hite.  On  their  way  through 
Kentucky  to  Harrod’s  Station,  the  party  encamped 
for  seven  weeks  at  Drilling’s  Lick,  in  the  neigh- 
bourhood of  the  present  city  of  Frankfort.  Here 
Mrs.  Coomes,  aided  by  those  of  the  party  who 
were  not  engaged  in  hunting,  employed  herself  in 
making  salt — for  the  first  time,  perhaps,  that  this 
article  was  manufactured  in  our  State. 

Some  time  after  the  party  had  reached  Harrod’s 
Town,  the  men  of  the  station  being  all  otherwise 
busily  engaged,  Mrs.  Coomes,  at  the  urgent  re- 
quest of  the  citizens,  opened  a school  for  the  edu- 
cation of  children.  This  was,  in  all  probability, 
the  first  elementary  school  established  in  Ken- 
tucky. Thus  the  first  school-teacher,  and  proba- 
bly the  first  physician  of  our  Commonwealth,  were 
both  Catholics. 

Of  the  remarkable  adventures  of  Wm.  Coomes, 
we  intend  to  speak  more  in  detail  at  the  close  of 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


25 


the  present  chapter.  We  will  here  rapidly  glance 
at  the  chief  colonies  of  Catholics,  who  successive- 
ly removed  to  the  State,  and  of  the  dangers  they 
severally  encountered  on  the  way.  Our  informa- 
tion has  been  carefully  gleaned  from  the  oral  state- 
ments of  many  of  the  old  emigrants,  who  are  now 
fast  disappearing  from  the  stage  of  life. 

The  first  Catholic  colony  which  emigrated  to 
Kentucky,  after  those  already  named,  was  the  one 
which  accompanied  the  Haydons  and  Lancasters. 
They  reached  the  new  country  some  time  in  the 
year  1785  ; and  located  themselves  chiefly  on  Pot- 
tinger’s  Creek,  at  the  distance  of  from  ten  to  fif- 
teen miles  from  Bardstown.  A few  of  them, 
however,  settled  in  the  more  immediate  vicinity  of 
Bardstown.  The  selection  of  Pottinger’s  Creek 
as  the  location  of  the  new  Catholic  colony,  was 
unfortunate.  The  land  was  poor,  and  the  situa- 
tion uninviting.  Yet  the  nucleus  of  the  new  colo- 
ny having  been  formed,  these  disadvantages  were 
subsequently  disregarded.  The  new  Catholic  em- 
igrants from  Maryland,  continued  to  flock  to  the 
same  neighbourhood.  They  preferred  being  near 
their  brethren,  and  enjoying  with  them  the  advan- 
tages of  their  holy  religion,  to  all  other  mere  world- 
ly considerations.  They  could  not  brook  the  idea 
of  straggling  off  in  different  directions,  where 
though  they  might  better  their  earthly  condition 
they  and  their  children  would,  in  all  probability 
be  deprived  of  the  consolations  of  religion. 

The  Protestant  emigrants  to  our  State  seem  to 
have  been  guided  by  no  such  principle : and  this 
may  serve  to  explain  to  us  their  general  superior 
advantages,  in  a worldly  point  of  view.  The  all- 
pervading  principle  of  Catholicity  is  union  ; while 
disunion,  on  the  contrary,  is  the  distinctive  feature 
of  Protestantism.  And  while  on  this  subject,  we 


26  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS. 

may  remark,  in  general,  that,  with  two  or  three 
exceptions,  the  Catholic  emigrants  to  Kentucky 
selected  poor  and  unproductive  land  for  their  set- 
tlements. They  followed  each  other  like  a flock 
of  sheep : nor  is  this  a disparaging  comparison  ; 
for  our  Blessed  Lord  often  adopted  it  as  a favorite 
illustration  of  the  distinctive  qualities  of  His 
disciples. 

A much  larger  colony  of  Catholics  than  that  just 
named  emigrated  to  Kentucky  in  the  spring  of  the 
year  1786,  with  Captain  Jas.  Rapier.  They  settled 
in  the  same  neighborhoods  with  those  who  had  pre- 
ceded them,  in  the  previous  year.  In  the  following 
year,  1787,  another  colony  came  out  with  Philip 
Miles  and  Thomas  Hill.  Catholic  emigrants  con- 
tinued to  pour  into  Kentucky,  during  the  follow- 
ing years.  In  1788,  Robert  Abell  emigrated  thither 
with  some  of  his  friends.#  In  the  year  1790,  a 

• Robert  Abell  was  one  of  the  Delegates  to  the  Convention 
which  framed  our  State  Constitution ; and  he  was  the  only  Ca- 
tholic in  that  body.  The  following  incident  may  not  be  here  in- 
appropriate. The  Convention  had  agreed  that  each  of  the  dele- 
gates might  draw  up  a draught  of  the  new  Constitution;  and  that, 
on  the  debate  in  regard  to  each  provision,  those  should  be  select- 
ed from  the  respective  draughts  which  should  be  deemed  best  by 
the  majority  of  delegates.  Robert  Abell  had  two  room-mates  : 
the  late  distinguished  Felix  Grundy  of  Nashville,  and  a lawyer, 
who  had  been  a Presbyterian  preacher.  The  last  named,  one 
day  called  the  attention  of  his  two  companions  to  a provision 
which  he  had  inserted  in  his  draught  of  the  Constitution,  which 
ran  about  as  follows:  “And  be  it  further  provided,  that  no  papist 
or  Roman  Catholic  shall  hold  any  office  of  profit  or  trust  in  this 
Commonwealth.”  Immediately,  Felix  Grundy  seized  his  pen, 
and  indited  the  following  clause  in  his  draught : “And  be  it  also 
provided,  that  no  broken-down  Presbyterian  preacher  shall  be 
eligible  to  any  office  in  this  Commonwealth.”  This  clause  he 
read  to  the  lawyer-preacher,  whom  he  further  assured  that  he 
would  lay  it  before  the  Convention,  and  advocate  its  adoption, 
the  very  moment  the  provision  excluding  Roman  Catholics 
should  be  read  before  that  body.  The  “broken-down”  preacher 
looked  blank,  and  no  more  was  heard  of  his  famous  clause.  This 
incident  was  related  to  a son  of  Robert  Abell,  by  Felix  Grundy 
himself. 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


27 


colony  came  out  with  Benedict  Spalding,  from  St. 
Mary’s  county,  Maryland.  This  was  followed,  in 
the  ensuing  year,  by  other  emigrants  who  accom- 
panied Leonard  Hamilton.  The  greater  portion 
of  these  three  last  named  colonies  located  them- 
selves on  the  Rolling  Fork  of  Salt  river,  in  the 
present  county  of  Marion.  After  the  cessation  of 
Indian  hostilities,  and  the  treaty  of  Greenville,  in 
1795,  emigration  to  the  west  was  not  attended  with 
so  much  difficulty  or  danger,  as  before ; and  the 
number  of  Catholics  who  removed  to  Kentucky 
proportionably  increased. 

But  before  this  period,  the  hardships  and  dan- 
gers which  the  emigrant  had  to  encounter,  both  on 
the  way  and  after  he  had  reached  his  destination, 
are  almost  incredible  at  the  present  day.  The  new 
comers  generally  descended  the  Ohio  river  in  flat 
boats  from  Pittsburgh.  The  Indians  lurked  in  the 
forests,  on  both  sides  of  the  river,  awaiting  the 
first  favorable  opportunity  to  pounce  upon  their 
prey ; to  seize  the  boats,  and  to  capture  or  butcher 
the  occupants.  The  boats  of  Miles  and  Hill,  in 
1787,  were  fired  on  by  the  Indians,  about  twenty 
miles  above  Louisville : all  the  horses  were  killed, 
and  likewise  one  man,  by  the  name  of  Hall,  who 
was  acting  as  stearsman ; but  the  boats  fortunate- 
ly escaped.  We  may  also  mention  that  one  of  the 
Haydons  lost  seven,  and  the  other,  three  members 
of  his  family,  from  hardship  and  sickness,  while 
on  their  way  to  Kentucky. 

Descending  the  Ohio  river,  at  that  time,  was  like 
running  the  gauntlet  between  two  files  of  savages. 
After  the  failure  of  General  Harmar’s  expedition, 
in  1790,  the  Indians,  elated  with  their  success,  be- 
came still  more  troublesome  to  those  who  were 
travelling  westward.  They  lay  in  wait,  in  large 
and  formidable  parties,  for  the  boats  floating  down 


28  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

the  Ohio ; and  many  a death-struggle  took  place 
between  them  and  the  boatmen.  In  that,  or  the 
following  year,  the  boat  of  Captain  Hubbell,  with 
nine  men  on  board,  was  attacked  by  the  Indians, 
who  approached  it  in  canoes.  A desperate  contest 
ensued,  in  which  Capt.  Hubbell  had  three  of  his 
men  killed,  and  three  wounded,  himself  having 
been  shot  through  the  arm.  At  length,  however, 
the  Indians  were  beaten  off  with  handspikes  from 
the  gunwales  of  the  boat,  upon  which  they  had 
seized,  in  the  desperate  attempt  to  board  it.  The 
boat  escaped.# 

The  boat  of  Greathouse,  which  was  descending 
the  Ohio  about  the  same  time,  was  less  fortunate. 
It  was  captured  almost  without  resistance,  and  the 
miserable  crew  were  hurried  off  into  a dreadful 
captivity.  In  the  same  year,  another  boat,  with 
some  Catholic  families  on  board,  was  likewise  at- 
tacked, but  it  succeeded  in  effecting  its  escape. 
Some  of  the  men  were,  however,  killed,  and  among 
them,  Mr.  McManus,  the  father  of  the  late  estima- 
ble Charles  McManus  of  Bardstown.  His  bereaved 
widow  continued  her  journey  to  Kentucky,  with 
the  family,  and  settled  in  Bardstown.  During  the 
rest  of  her  life  she  edified  all  by  her  exemplary 
piety,  and  died  a most  edifying  death,  on  the  5th 
of  October,  1825. 

The  following  testimony  of  a distinguished  co- 
temporary, Judge  Innes  of  Kentucky,  may  serve 
to  show  us  Iioav  great  were  the  dangers  encounter- 
ed by  those  who  attempted  to  emigrate  to  Ken- 
tucky, during  the  time  of  which  we  are  speaking. 
In  a letter  to  Secretary  Knox,  written  on  the  7th 
July,  1790,  he  says:  uHe  had  been  intimately  ac- 
quainted with  this  district  (Kentucky)  from  No- 
vember 1783,  to  the  time  of  writing;  and  thatjfi/'- 

"SeeHubbell’s  Narrative — and  Butler,  p.  195. 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


29 


tern  hundred  souls  had  been  killed  and  taken  in 
the  district,  and  migrating  to  it ; that  upwards  of 
twenty  thousand  horses  had  been  taken  and  car- 
ried off;  and  other  property,  to  the  amount  of  at 
least  fifteen  thousand  pounds. 

Nor  were  the  emigrants  more  safe  after  they  had 
reached  their  destination  in  Kentucky.  The  In- 
dians continually  prowled  about  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  new  settlements,  attacking  them  if  they  seem- 
ed left  defenceless,  and  murdering  women  and 
children,  or  dragging  them  into  captivity.  In  the 
spring  of  1788,  the  house  of  Col.  Isaac  Cox,  about 
eleven  miles  from  Bardstown,  was  attacked  by 
them,  and  he  was  slain,  his  body  being  left  in  a 
dreadfully  mutilated  and  mangled  condition.  In 
the  year  1794,  a Catholic  man,  named  Buckman, 
was  likewise  killed,  on  Cloyd’s  creek,  near  the 
Rolling  Fork.  In  the  panic  which  followed  this 
murder,  many  Catholics  left  that  settlement,  and 
removed  for  a time  to  Bardstown,  around  which 
the  people  were  more  densely  settled.  One  who 
remained  at  his  home,  is  said  to  have  made  a large 
cross  with  charcoal,  on  the  outside  of  his  cabin 
door;  and  it  is  farther  reported,  that  the  Indians, 
seeing  this  sign,  passed  the  house  by  unharmed. 
They  probably  belonged  to  those  tribes  of  the 
northwest,  which,  many  years  before,  had  been 
taught  Christianity  by  the  Jesuit  missionaries ; 
and  they  may  have  still  retained  some  remem- 
brance of  the  principles  they  or  their  fathers  had 
then  imbibed.  This  may  explain  to  us  their  re- 
spect for  the  cross;  if  indeed  the  story  be  thought 
worthy  of  credit. 

This  reminds  us  of  another  anecdote  of  a simi- 
lar nature,  which  rests  on  the  most  respectable 
authority,  and  which  we  will  briefly  relate,  though 

* Political  Transactions,  p.  58— and  Butler,  p.  195. 


30  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

it  does  not  properly  belong  to  the  history  which 
we  are  attempting  to  sketch. 

In  the  late  war,  an  Irish  Catholic,  a deserter 
from  the  British  army,  had  enlisted  in  the  Ameri- 
can service.  The  regiment  to  which  he  was  at- 
tached marched  to  the  northern  frontier,  near 
which,  about  the  year  1812  or  1813,  it  encountered 
a formidable  body  of  British  and  Indians.  The 
Americans  were  defeated  and  fled  precipitately,  the 
Irishman  flying  with  the  rest.  The  Indians  pur- 
sued with  the  deafening  war-whoop,  and  with  up- 
lifted tomahawks.  The  Irishman  finding  that  he 
was  about  to  be  overtaken  by  a stout  warrior,  fell 
on  his  knees,  and  made  the  sign  of  the  cross,  and 
endeavored,  as  well  as  he  could,  to  prepare  him- 
self for  death.  The  warrior  suddenly  stopped, 
dropped  his  tomahawk,  and  falling  likewise  on  his 
knees,  embraced  the  white  man,  exclaiming : “You 
are  my  brother!”  Meantime,  other  Indians  came 
up  and  witnessed  the  affecting  scene.  The  war- 
rior told  them  of  the  treasure  of  a brother  he  had 
been  so  fortunate  as  to  find ; and,  after  a brief 
consultation,  they  determined  to  take  the  Irish- 
man to  their  camp,  and  to  constitute  him  their  “fa- 
ther prayer.”  The  Irish  Catholic  gladly  accepted 
the  proposition,  and  remained  with  thejn  for  a few 
days,  saying  prayers  for  them,  and  teaching  them 
the  principles  of  the  Catholic  faith,  as  best  he 
could.  But  knowing  the  fate  which  awaited  him, 
if  he  should  fall  into  the  hands  of  the  British,  he 
told  his  Indian  brethren  that  he  was  not  a real 
“father  prayer ;”  but  that  if  they  would  permit  him 
to  go  to  New  York,  he  would  exert  himself  to  pro- 
cure for  them  a Catholic  priest,  who  would  teach 
them  their  prayers.  The  Indians  assented  to  the 
proposal ; and,  on  his  arrival  in  New  York,  the 
Irishman  related  the  whole  adventure  to  the  Rev- 


TO  KENTUCKY, 


31 


Benedict  Fenwick,  S.  J. — the  present  distinguish- 
ed Bishop  of  Boston — who  was  then  stationed  in 
New  York.# 

These  Indians  probably  belonged  to  the  tribe  of 
the  Penobscotts  or  the  Abenakis  of  Maine,  whose 
forefathers  had  learned  the  Catholic  faith  from  the 
Franciscan  and  Jesuit  missionaries.  This  inci- 
dent, and  that  previously  mentioned,  in  which  the 
sign  of  the  cross  was  the  means  of  warding  off 
danger  and  saving  life,  remind  us  of  the  blood  of 
the  lamb,  sprinkled  on  the  lintels  of  the  doors,  by 
the  Israelites  in  Egypt,  to  avert  the  scourge  of  the 
destroying  angel. 

The  early  Catholic  emigrants  to  'Kentucky,  in 
common  with  their  brethren  of  other  denomina- 
tions, had  to  endure  many  privations  and  hard- 
ships. As  we  may  well  conceive,  there  were  few 
luxuries  to  be  found  in  the  wilderness,  in  the  midst 
of  which  they  had  fixed  their  new  habitations. 
They  often  suffered  even  for  the  most  indispensa- 
ble necessaries  of  life.  To  obtain  salt,  they  had 
to  travel  for  many  miles  to  the  licks,  through  a 
country  infested  with  savages ; and  they  were  of- 
ten obliged  to  remain  there  for  several  days,  until 
they  could  procure  a supply. 

There  were  then  no  regular  roads  in  Kentucky. 
The  forests  were  filled  with  a luxuriant  under- 
growth, thickly  interspersed  with  the  cane,  and  the 
whole  closely  interlaced  with  the  wild  pea- vine. 
These  circumstances  rendered  them  nearly  im- 
passable ; and  almost  the  only  chance  of  effecting 
a passage  through  this  vegetable  wilderness,  was 
by  following  the  paths,  or  traces , made  by  the  herds 
of  buffalo  and  other  wild  beasts.  Luckily,  these 
traces  were  numerous,  especially  in  the  vicinity  of 

• We  are  indebted  for  this  anecdote,  to  the  Very  Rev.  Stephen 
Theodore  Badin. 


32  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

the  licks,  which  the  buffalo  were  in  the  habit  of 
frequenting,  to  drink  the  salt  water,  or  lick  the 
earth  impregnated  with  salt.# 

The  new  colonists  resided  in  log  cabins,  rudely 
constructed,  with  no  glass  in  the  windows,  with 
floors  of  dirt,  or,  in  the  better  sort  of  dwellings,  of 
puncheons  of  split  timber,  roughly  hewn  with 
the  axe.  After  they  had  worn  out  the  clothing 
brought  with  them  from  the  old  settlements,  both 
men  and  women  were  under  the  necessity  of  wear- 
ing buckskin  or  homespun  apparel.  Such  a thing 
as  a store  was  not  known  in  Kentucky  for  many 
years  : and  the  names  of  broadcloth,  ginghams  and 
calicoes,  were  never  even  so  much  as  breathed. 
Moccasins  made  of  buckskin,  supplied  the  place 
of  our  modern  shoes ; blankets  thrown  over  the 
shoulder  answered  the  purpose  of  our  present 
fashionable  coats  and  cloaks ; and  handkerchiefs 
tied  around  the  head  served  instead  of  hats  and 
bonnets.  A modern  fashionable  bonnet  would 
have  been  a matter  of  real  wonderment  in  those 
days  of  unaffected  simplicity. 

The  furniture  of  the  cabins  was  of  the  same 
primitive  character.  Stools  were  used  instead  of 
chairs ; the  table  was  made  of  slabs  of  timber, 
rudely  put  together ; wooden  vessels  and  platters 
supplied  the  place  of  our  modern  plates  and  china- 
ware  ; and  “a  tin  cup  was  an  article  of  delicate 
furniture,  almost  as  rare  as  an  iron  fork.”f  The 
beds  were  either  placed  on  the  floor,  or  on  bed- 
steads of  puncheons,  supported  by  forked  pieces 
of  timber,  driven  into  the  ground,  or  resting  on 
pins  let  into  auger  holes  in  the  sides  of  the  cabin. 

* This  circumstance,  as  every  body  knows,  causedthose  places 
to  be  called  licks. 

t Marshall — History  of  Kentucky — vol.  1.  p.  123.  Edit. 

Bup.  City 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


33 


Blankets,  and  bear  and  buffalo  skins,  constituted 
often  the  principal  bed  covering. 

One  of  the  chief  resources  for  food  was  the 
chase.  All  kinds  of  game  were  then  very  abun- 
dant; and  when  the  hunter  chanced  to  have  a 
goodly  supply  of  ammunition,  his  fortune  was  made 
for  the  year.  The  game  was  plainly  dressed,  and 
served  up  on  wooden  platters,  with  corn  bread,  and 
the  Indian  dish — the  well  known  homeny.  The 
corn  was  ground  with  great  difficulty,  on  the  la- 
borious hand-mills ; for  mills  of  other  descrip- 
tions were  then,  and  for  many  years  afterwards, 
unknown  in  Kentucky. 

Such  was  the  simple  manner  of  life  led  by  our 
“pilgrim  fathers.”  They  had  fewer  luxuries,  but 
perhaps  were,  withal,  more  happy  than  their  more 
fastidious  descendants.  Hospitality  was  not  then 
an  empty  name;  every  log  cabin  was  freely  thrown 
open  to  all  who  chose  to  share  in  the  best  cheer  its 
inmates  could  afford.  The  early  settlers  of  Ken- 
tucky were  bound  together  by  the  strong  ties  of 
common  hardships  and  dangers — to  say  nothing 
of  other  bonds  of  union — and  they  clung  together 
with  great  tenacity.  On  the  slightest  alarm  of  In- 
dian invasion,  they  all  made  common  cause,  and 
flew  together  to  the  rescue.  There  was  less  self- 
ishness, and  more  generous  chivalry;  less  bick- 
ering, and  more  cordial  charity,  then,  than  at 
present;  notwithstanding  all  our  boasted  refine- 
ment. 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  a brief  account 
of  the  siugular  adventures  and  hair-breadth  es- 
capes of  William  Coomes,  who,  as  we  have  already 
seen,  was,  with  Dr.  Hart,  the  first  Catholic  that 
came  to  Kentucky.#  He  settled  with  his  family 

* We  have  derived  our  information  from  Mr.  Walter  A. 
Coomes,  the  son  of  Wm.  Coomes.  He  was  a lad  of  about  six- 


34  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

in  Harrod’s  Town,  in  the  spring  of  1T75,  and  re- 
mained there  for  about  nine  years,  sharing  in  all 
the  dangers  and  hardships  of  his  fellow-townsmen. 
Early  in  March,  1777,  the  Indians  appeared  in  the 
vicinity  of  Harrod’s  Town,  to  begin  the  memora- 
ble siege  which  was  to  last,  with  little  intermission, 
for  nearly  four  years.  Mr.  Butler,  the  historian  of 
Kentucky,  thus  introduces  the  account  of  this  at- 
tack ; in  which,  as  elsewhere,  he  follows  Mar- 
shall. * 

“ On  the  29th  of  December  (1776,)  a large  body 
of  Indians  attacked  McClellan’s  fort,  on  Elkhorn, 
killed  McClellan,  his  wife,  and  two  others,  which 
drove  the  residue  of  the  people  to  Harrod’s  Town. 
This  necessarily  produced  great  alarm;  it  was  soon 
much  increased  by  an  attack  of  the  Indians  on 
James  Ray,  his  brother,  and  another  man,  who 
were  clearing  some  land  about  four  miles  from 
Harrod’s  Town,  at  the  present  residence  of  this 
venerable  and  distinguished  pioneer.  {Ray)  The 
hostile  party,  consisting  of  forty-seven  warriors, 
under  command  of  Blackfish,  a celebrated  chief, 
attracted  by  the  noise  of  the  axes,  rushed  upon  the 
little  party  of  choppers,  killed  the  younger  Ray, 
and  took  the  third  man  prisoner.  The  elder  Ray 
escaped  by  his  uncommon  swiftness  of  foot.” 

The  third  man  here  referred  to  was  William 
Coomes;  but  there  was  yet  & fourth  man,  named 
Thomas  Shores,  whom  Mr.  Butler  does  not  men- 

teen,  when  he  emigrated  to  Kentucky,  with  his  father;  and  he 
is  now  in  his  74th  year.  He  states  that  his  father  reached  Har- 
rod’s Town  in  the  spring  of  1774;  but  as  this  date  does  not  seem 
to  tally  with  those  of  corresponding  facts  stated  by  Butler,  who 
follows  Marshall,  we  have  preferred  the  statement,  that  Wm. 
Coomes  emigrated  a year  later.  This  throws  back,  by  one  year, 
each  of  the  dates  mentioned  in  the  original  statement  of  Mr. 
Coomes. 

* Butler,  p.  42 — Marshall,  vol.  1,  p.  48. 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


35 


tion.  He,  and  not  William  Coomes,  as  we  shall 
presently  see,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians, 
at  the  Shawnee  Springs.  The  historian’s  state- 
ment does  not  tally  with  that  of  Mr.  Coomes  in 
many  other  important  particulars.  The  statement 
of  the  latter#  is  briefly  as  follows ; and  we  have 
not  a doubt  of  its  substantial  accuracy. 

The  party  of  choppers  alluded  to,  consisted  of 
the  two  Rays,  Wm.  Coomes,  and  Thomas  Shores, 
who  were  engaged  in  clearing  land,  at  the  Shaw- 
nee Springs,  for  Hugh  M’Gary,  the  father-in-law 
of  the  two  Rays.  On  the  6th  of  March,  17TT,  the 
two  Rays  and  Shores  visited  a neighbouring  su- 
gar-camp, to  slake  their  thirst,  leaving  Mr.  Coomes 
alone  at  the  clearing.  Wm.  Coomes,  alarmed  at 
their  protracted  absence,  had  suspended  his  work, 
and  was  about  to  start  in  search  of  them  ; when 
he  suddenly  spied  a body  of  Indians — fifteen  in 
number — coming  directly  towards  him  from  the 
direction  of  the  sugar-camp.  He  instantly  con- 
cealed himself  behind  the  trunk  of  the  three  which 
he  had  just  felled,  at  the  same  time  seizing  and 
cocking  his  rifle.  Fortunately,  the  Indians  had 
not  observed  him,  owing  to  the  thick  canebrake 
and  undergrowth  : they  passed  by  him  in  Indian 
file,  to  a temporary  log  cabin,  which  the  woodmen 
had  erected  for  their  accommodation. 

So  soon  as  they  were  out  of  sight,  Coomes  es- 
caped towards  the  sugar-camp,  to  find  out  what 
had  become  of  his  companions.  Discovering  no 
trace  of  them,  he  concealed  himself  amidst  the 
boughs  of  a fallen  hickory  tree,  the  yellow  leaves 
of  which  were  of  nearly  the  same  colour  as  his 
garments.  From  his  hiding  place  he  had  a full 
view  of  the  sugar-camp  ; and  after  a short  time  he 

r * Furnished  us,  as  we  have  said,  by  his  son,  who  was  at  the 
time  in  Harrod’s  Station,  a youth  then  about  18  years  of  age. 


36  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

observed  a party  of  forty  Indians  halt  there,  where 
they  were  soon  rejoined  by  the  fifteen  whom  he 
had  previously  seen.  They  tarried  there  for  a 
longtime,  drinking  the  syrup,  singing  their  war- 
songs,  and  dancing  their  war-dance.  Coomes  was 
a breathless  spectator  of  this  scene  of  revelry,  from 
the  distance  of  only  fifty  or  sixty  yards.  Other 
straggling  parties  of  savages  also  came  in,  and  the 
whole  number  amounted  to  about  seventy,  instead 
of  forty  seven,  as  stated  by  Butler  and  Marshall. 

Meantime,  James  Ray  had  escaped  and  commu- 
nicated the  alarm  to  the  people  at  Harrod’s  Town. 
Gieat  was  the  terror  and  confusion  which  ensued 
there.  The  hot-headed  McGary  openly  charged 
James  Harrod  with  having  been  wanting  in  the 
precautions  and  courage  necessary  for  the  defence 
of  the  fort.  These  two  men,  who  had  a personal 
enmity  against  each  other,  quarrelled  and  levelled 
their  fatal  rifles  at  each  other’s  bosoms.  In  this 
conjuncture,  the  wife  of  McGary  rushed  in,  and 
turned  aside  the  rifle  of  her  husband,  when  Har- 
rod immediately  withdrew  his,  and  the  difficulty 
was  temporarily  adjusted. 

McGary  insisted  that  a party  of  thirty  should 
be  immediately  despatched  with  him  in  search  of 
Coomes,  Shores,  and  his  son-in-law,  Wm.  Ray: 
Harrod,  the  commandant  of  the  station,  and  Col. 
James  Rogers  Clark,  thought  this  measure  rash 
and  imprudent,  as  all  the  men  were  necessary  for 
the  defence  of  the  place,  which  might  be  attacked 
by  the  Indians  at  any  moment.  At  length,  how- 
ever, chiefly  at  the  urgent  instance  of  a Mr.  Pen- 
dergrast,#  the  request  of  McGary  was  granted;  and 
thirty  mounted  men  were  placed  under  his  com- 
mand for  the  expedition. 

* Who  subsequently  removed  to  Louisville. 


TO  KENTUCKY* 


37 


The  detachment  moved  with  great  rapidity, 
and  soon  reached  the  neighbourhood  of  the  sugar- 
camp,  which  the  Indians  had  already  abandoned. 
Near  it  they  discovered  the  mangled  remains  of 
Wm.  Ray,  at  the  sight  of  which  McGary  turned 
pale,  and  was  near  falling  from  his  horse,  in  a faint- 
ing fit.  As  soon  as  the  body  was  discovered,  one 
of  the  men  shouted  out : “See  there!  they  have 
killed  poor  Coomes!”  Coomes,who  had  hitherto 
lurked  in  his  hiding  place,  now  sallied  forth,  and 
ran  towards  the  men,  exclaiming : “No,  they 
haven’t  killed  me,  by  Job!  Fm  safe!” 

The  party  having  buried  Ray,  and  rescued 
Coomes,  returned  in  safety  to  Harrod’s  Town, 
which  they  reached  about  sunset.  All  hands  then 
set  to  work  to  put  the  place  in  a state  of  defence ; 
and  on  the  next  morning,  the  memorable  seige 
commenced,  which  was  destined  to  keepHarrod’s 
Town  in  danger,  and  in  constant  alarm,  for  several 
years.  During  this  whole  time  the  gallant  little 
garrison  was  harrassed  day  and  night.  Ten  sen- 
tinels mounted  guard  during  the  day,  and  double 
that  number  at  night.  The  whole  number  of 
fighting  men  in  the  station  scarcely  exceeded  six- 
ty. Their  provisions  and  ammunition  were  often 
exhausted ; and  the  obtaining  of  a new  supply 
was  attended  with  great  danger.  Yet  it  was  fre- 
quently accomplished,  in  the  very  face  of  the  be- 
siegers. Small  parties  escaped  from  the  fort  in  the 
night,  and  after  having  secured  an  abundant  sup- 
ply of  game,  in  a distant  hunting-ground,  or  ob- 
tained ammunition  from  a neighbouring  station, 
returned  with  the  same  caution  to  the  fort.  James 
Ray  was  often  a leader  of  these  foraging  parties. 

The  people  in  the  station  received  their  daily  sup- 
ply of  provisions  from  a common  store  : there  was 
an  officer  appointed  to  distribute  the  rations  to  each 
E 


3S  THE  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS 

family,  in  proportion  to  the  number  of  its  mem- 
bers. Things  were  conducted  pretty  much  on  the 
same  plan  as  in  a regular  army,  or  in  a man  of  war 
at  sea.  The  women  and  children  shared  in  the 
gallantry  of  their  husbands  and  fathers  for  the  de- 
fence of  the  fort. 

We  find  no  mention,  by  either  of  the  historians 
of  Kentucky,  of  the  following  stirring  adventure, 
in  which  Wm.  Coomes  was  likewise  an  actor. 
In  the  spring  of  1778,  he  was  one  of  a party  of 
thirty  men,  sent  out  under  Col.  Bowman,  for  the 
purpose  of  shelling  corn  at  a plantation  about 
seven  miles  distant  from  Harrod’s  Town.  The 
men  were  divided  into  pairs,  each  of  which  had  a 
large  sack,  which  was  to  be  filled  and  brought 
back  to  the  fort.  While  engaged  in  filling  the 
sacks,  they  were  fired  on  by  a party  of  about  forty 
Indians,  who  had  lain  concealed  in  the  neighbour- 
ing canebrake.  At  the  first  fire  seven  of  the  white 
men  were  shot  down,  and  among  them  a Mr.  H. 
Berry,  the  person  standing  by  the  side  of  Wm. 
Coomes,  whose  face  was  bespattered  with  the 
blood  from  the  wounds  of  his  fallen  comrade. 
Eight  others  of  the  white  men  fled  for  shelter  to 
the  canebrake  ; but  the  rest  of  them,  rallied  by  the 
loud  cries  of  Col.  Bowman,  seized  their  rifles,  and, 
sheltering  themselves  in  an  adjoining  cabin,  or 
behind  the  trees,  prepared  to  defend  themselves  to 
the  last.  One  of  the  men,  observing  the  face  of 
Coomes  reddened  with  blood,  mistook  him  for  an 
Indian,  and  was  levelling  his  rifle  at  him,  when 
the  latter,  fortunately  remarking  his  movement, 
cried  out,  and  thus  saved  his  life. 

Meantime,  Col.  Bowman  despatched  a courier 
on  horseback  to  Harrod’s  Town,  to  carry  the 
alarm,  and  to  obtain  a reinforcement.  The  mes- 


TO  KENTUCKY. 


39 


senger  sped  his  way  unharmed  to  the  fort,  though 
many  a rifle  was  aimed  at  him,  and  though  anoth- 
er strong  party  of  savages  were  lying  in  ambush 
on  the  way  he  had  to  travel.  In  a few  hours,  the 
expected  reinforcement  arrived^  when  the  In- 
dians, baffled  in  their  object,  betook  themselves  to 
flight.  The  white  men,  after  burying  their  dead, 
returned  to  Harrod’s  Town  in  the  evening,  with 
their  replenished  sacks  of  corn. 

This  adventure  was  but  one  out  of  a hundred 
of  a similar  character  which  occurred  in  the  vi- 
cinity of  Harrod’s  Town,  during  the  four  years’ 
siege  of  that  station.^  So  fully  resolved  were  the 
Indians  to  break  up  this  fort,  that  they  had  erected 
a counter  fort  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  place. 
This  Indian  station  was  discovered  by  one  of  the 
small  foraging  parties  from  Harrod’s  Town.  A 
detachment  was  immediately  sent  out,  which,  af- 
ter a short  contest,  succeeded  in  dislodging  the 
Indians  from  this  stronghold,  which  was  reduced 
to  ashes. 

We  have  entered  into  all  these  details,  because 
they  appear  to  us  to  throw  some  additional  light 
on  the  early  history  of  Harrod’s  Town : and  be- 
cause they  also  serve  to  show  us  what  dangers  the 
first  Catholic  emigrants  to  Kentucky  shared,  in 
common  with  their  brethren  of  other  denomina- 
tions. The  siege  of  Harrod’s  Station  continued, 
till  the  year  1781,  when  about  a hundred  addition- 
al emigrants,  chiefly  from  Virginia,  took  up  their 

* The  Indians  had  a great  dislike  for  Me  Gary,  whom  they  of- 
ten endeavoured  to  kill.  On  one  occasion  they  left  a fine  moc- 
casin in  a road  near  Harrod’s  Town,  over  which  they  expected 
him  to  pass.  They  intended  to  shoot  him  as  he  stopped  to  pick 
up  the  moccasin.  But  McGary,  suspecting  their  plan,  put  spurs 
to  his  horse,  and  escaped,  though  more  than  one  rifle  ball  whis- 
tled by  his  head. 


40  EARLY  CATHOLIC  EMIGRANTS,  &C. 

residence  in  the  place.  The  Indians  then  gave  up 
the  siege  in  despair,  and  returned  to  their  own  wig- 
wams in  the  northwest. 

William  Coomes,  after  residing  for  nearly  nine 
years  in  Harrod’s  Town,#  removed,  in  1783,  to 
the  vicinity  of  Bardstown,  in  order  to  be  near  his 
Catholic  brethren,  and  to  enjoy  the  advantages  of 
his  holy  religion.  He  lived  here  for  many  years, 
and  died  in  a good  old  age. 

* Wm.  Coomes  had  a son,  who  fought  in  the  battle  of  the  Blu$ 
Licks,  from  which  he  very  narrowly  escaped  with  his  life. 


CHAPTER  III. 


The  First  Catholic  Missionary  in  Kentucky — 
His  Life  and  Times . — From  17 ’87 , 1793. 

Father  Whelan — His  early  history — His  appointment  to  the 
Mission  of  Kentucky — His  arrival  and  missionary  labors — Pro- 
miscuous meetings  and  dancing — Prejudices  of  Sectarians — 
Anecdotes — Father  Whelan’s  trials  and  difficulties — His  return 
to  Maryland  and  subsequent  life — Rev.  Wm.  De  Rohan — Re- 
markable adventures  of  John  Lancaster. 

As  we  have  already  seen  in  the  preceding  chap- 
ter, considerable  colonies  of  Catholics  had  emi- 
grated from  Maryland  to  Kentucky,  in  the  years 
1785  and  1786,  especially  in  the  latter.  We  have 
also  seen  what  difficulties  and  dangers  they  had  to 
encounter,  both  on  their  journey  westward,  and  af- 
ter they  had  reached  their  new  home  in  the  wil- 
derness. But  the  privation  which  they  felt  most 
keenly  was,  that  they  were  without  the  consola- 
tions of  their  Holy  Religion.  They  formed  a flock 
without  a shepherd.  No  Catholic  priest  had  as 
yet  penetrated  those  remote  wilds  : the  clean  obla- 
tion of  the  New  Law  had  never  yet  been  offered 
up  on  the  “ dark  and  bloody  ground  !” 

Ireland  had  the  honor  of  sending  one  of  her 
sons  as  the  first  missionary  to  Kentucky.  One  of 
the  principal  Catholic  emigrants  to  Kentucky,  on 
his  return  to  Maryland  in  the  spring  of  1787,  rep- 
resented the  bereaved  condition  of  the  Catholic 
colonists  to  the  Very  Rev.  John  Carroll,  then  Vicar 
General  of  the  Bishop  or  Vicar  Apostolic  of  the 
London  District.  He  represented,  that  there  were 
e 3 


42 


FATHER  WHELAN.' 


already  in  Kentucky  about  fifty  Catholic  families 
— the  number  of  which  was  yearly  increasing — 
and  that  all  of  these  were  totally  deprived  of  every 
religious  succour,  which  they,  however,  greatly 
needed  amidst  the  difficulties  and  perils  that  daily 
encompassed  them. 

The  paternal  heart  of  the  zealous  Yicar  General 
was  moved  at  this  picture  of  spiritual  bereavement ; 
and  he  determined  immediately  to  supply  the 
pressing  wants  of  so  distant  a branch  of  his  exten- 
sive charged  After  mature  deliberation,  he  se- 
lected for  this  difficult  and  dangerous  mission  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Whelan,  an  Irish  Franciscan,  who  had 
been  already  for  some  years  employed  on  the 
American  missions. 

F.  Whelan,  it  appears,  had  received  his  theolo- 
gical education  in  France,  and  he  had  served  as 
Chaplain  in  one  of  the  French  ships  of  war  sent 
out  to  the  aid  of  the  American  colonies  in  their 
struggle  for  Independence.  At  the  happy  close  of 
the  revolutionary  war,  in  1782,  being  pleased  with 
the  new  American  Government,  and  strongly  im- 
pressed with  the  wants  of  the  American  Catholic 
Church,  he  determined  to  select  America  as  the 
land  of  his  adoption,  and  to  devote  the  rest  of  his 
life  to  its  infant  missions.  Accordingly,  he  offer- 
ed his  services  to  the  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Carroll,  who 
cheerfully  accepted  them.  At  the  time  that  he 
was  selected  for  the  mission  of  Kentucky,  he  was 
residing  with  the  Jesuits  at  New  Town,  in  Mary- 
land. 

He  did  not  hesitate  long  ere  he  accepted  the  ap- 
pointment tendered  him  by  his  superior.  Though 
past  the  flower  of  age,  and  though  he  had  been 

* His  jurisdiction  extended  over  the  whole  territory  owned  by 
the  United  States  at  the  peace  of  1782. 


HIS  TIMES. 


43 


trained  up  amidst  the  refinements  of  one  of  the 
most  highly  civilized  nations  in  the  world,  yet  he 
cheerfully  responded  to  the  call,  regardless  of  the 
hardships  and  dangers  which  stared  him  in  the 
face,  on  the  distant  field  of  his  future  labours.  He 
immediately  took  his  departure  with  a new  Catho- 
lic colony  which  was  emigrating  to  Kentucky  in 
the  spring  of  1787 ; and,  after  sharing  with  them 
in  all  the  privations  and  perils  of  their  long  journey, 
he  happily  reached  his  destination  in  the  fall  of  the 
same  year.  Those  who  have  read  the  two  preced- 
ing chapters  will  be  able  to  estimate  the  dangers 
through  which  he  had  to  pass  on  his  journey  west- 
ward. The  whole  country  which  he  traversed 
from  the  frontier  settlements  of  Maryland  and 
Pennsylvania  to  the  heart  of  the  wilderness,  was 
infested  with  savages  thirsting  for  the  blood  of  the 
white  man. 

On  his  arrival,  F.  Whelan  found  an  ample 
field  for  the  exercise  of  his  zeal.  The  Catholics 
of  the  infant  colonies  received  him  with  open 
arms  ; many  of  them  had  not  seen  a priest  for  two 
years.  They  were  poor,  were  scattered  over  an  ex- 
tensive territory,  and  had  no  church  in  which  the 
divine  mysteries  might  be  offered  up.  They 
were  in  too  destitute  a condition  to  be  able  to  erect 
even  a temporary  place  of  worship.  F.  Whelan 
visited  the  different  neighbourhoods  in  which  the 
Catholics  were  located,  offered  up  the  Holy  Sac- 
rifice in  the  rude  log  cabins  of  the  country,  and 
laboured  indefatigably  to  stir  up  in  the  people 
proper  sentiments  of  piety.  He  laboured  day  and 
night,  preaching,  catechizing,  administering  the 
sacraments,  and  making  himself  “all  to  all  in  or- 
der to  gain  all”  to  Christ. 

He  was  assiduous  in  the  discharge  of  his  duties. 
He  was  never  known  to  miss  an  appointment,  no 


44 


FATHER  WHELAN! 


matter  how  inclement  the  season,  or  how  greatly 
he  had  been  exhausted  by  previous  labours.  Oft- 
en was  he  known  to  swim  rivers,  even  in  the 
dead  of  winter,  in  order  to  reach  a distant  station 
on  the  appointed  day.#  On  these  occasions,  the 
vestments,  Missal,  and  ornaments  of  the  altar, 
which  he  was  compelled  always  to  carry  with  him, 
were  immersed  in  the  water;  and  he  was  under 
the  necessity  of  delaying  divine  service  until  they 
could  be  dried  at  the  fire. 

During  their  brief  sojourn  in  the  wilderness, 
his  little  flock  had  gradually  fallen  into  many  prac- 
tices which  were  dangerous  to  piety.  They  were 
in  the  habit  of  gathering  promiscuously  on  Satur- 
day evenings  and  Sundays,  and  of  dancing  to  a 
late  hour.  In  the  rude  state  of  society  at  that 
time,  these  meetings  were  often  attended  with 
great  disorders.  F.  Whelan  was  uncompromising 
in  his  opposition  to  such  assemblages,  and  he 
made  every  effort  to  put  a stop  to  them ; nor  did 
he  relax  in  his  exertions  until  he  had,  in  a great 
measure,  succeeded  in  his  purpose.  He  thus  had 
the  satisfaction  of  seeing  that  his  labours  were  not 
without  fruit ; though,  with  all  his  exertions,  he 
was  unable  to  have  even  one  Catholic  church 
erected  during  his  short  stay  in  Kentucky. 

Besides  these  difficulties  with  his  own  flock,  he 
had  to  encounter  the  fierce  opposition  of  the  sec- 
tarians, whose  prejudices  against  the  Catholic 
church  were  of  the  grossest  character.  Misled  by 
the  erroneous  opinions  which  their  forefathers  had 
inherited  from  England,  they  were  in  the  habit  of 
viewing  Catholics  as  idolaters,  and  the  priests  as  a 

* These  particulars,  as  well  as  those  preceding  and  following, 
have  been  carefully  gleaned  from  the  oral  statements  of  the 
Very  Rev.  M.  Badin,  and  of  some  of  the  oldest  Catholic  emi- 
grants to  Kentucky. 


HIS  TIMES.  45 

species  of  jugglers.  Nor  were  they  at  all  reserved 
in  the  manner  of  exhibiting  this  prejudice. 

F.  Whelan  was  often  rudely  interrupted  in  the 
midst  of  his  sermons,  which  he  delivered  with 
the  warmth  and  eloquence  not  uncommon  to  his 
countrymen.  On  one  of  these  occasions,  while  he 
was  preaching  in  the  open  air,  near  the  site  of  the 
present  church  of  Holy  Cross,  an  ignorant  man,  a 
tailor,  stopped  him  in  the  middle  of  his  discourse. 
F.  Whelan  paused,  and  remarking  with  a smile, 
that  he  supposed  every  one  should  know  his  own 
trade  best,  asked  the  interlocuter — -“What  was  his 
profession?”  The  man,  somewhat  abashed,  an- 
swered that  he  was  “a  tailor.”  “Well  then,”  re- 
sumed F.  Whelan,  “will  you  be  so  good  as  to 
inform  me  how  many  yards  of  cloth  would  be  re- 
quired to  make  a suit  of  clothes  for  a man  who 
should  stand  with  one  foot  on  the  court-house  at 
Bardstown,  and  the  other  on  the  knob,m  or  emi- 
nence near  which  we  are  now  assembled?”  The 
distance  was  about  ten  miles.  The  tailor  was  si- 
lent. “Do  you  see,”  continued  F.  Whelan,  “this 
man  is  wholly  ignorant  of  his  own  trade,  and  yet 
he  ventures  to  instruct  me  in  mine.”  The  man 
was  non-plussed,  and  the  priest  resumed  his  dis- 
course, amidst  the  smiles  of  the  audience. 

On  another  occasion,  he  was  attacked  by  a sort 
of  preacher,  who  professed  to  understand  every 
thing  that  was  contained  in  the  Bible.  F.  Whe- 
lan so  effectually  exposed  his  ignorance,  that  the 
man  lodged  a complaint  against  him,  stating,  among 
other  things,  that  the  priest  had  called  him  an 
ignoramus . F.  Whelan  called  for  a New  Testa- 
ment, and  pledged  himself  to  prove  the  truth  of 
the  allegation,  to  the  satisfaction  of  all  present. 

* Now  called  * ‘Rohan’s  Knob.’* 


46  father  whelan: 

He  read  aloud  the  first  verse  of  St.  Mathew’s  Gos- 
pel, in  which  Jesus  Christ  is  styled  “the  Son  of 
David,  the  Son  of  Abraham;”  and  asked  the 
preacher  uhow  Christ  could  be  the  son  of  David, 
who  had  lived  about  a thousand  years  before  him, 
and  of  Abraham,  who  had  lived  at  a much  earlier 
period  ; and  how,  even  if  this  difficulty  were  re- 
moved, Christ  could  have  two  fathers?”  The  man 
put  on  his  spectacles,  read  the  passage  attentively; 
and  after  remaining  silent  for  some  time,  remarked, 
with  evident  embarrassment,  that  he  supposed 
there  must  be  some  mistake  in  the  text!! 

But  F.  Whelan  was  destined  to  encounter  diffi- 
culties of  a much  more  painful  nature,  with  some 
members  of  his  own  flock.  And  though  it  is  not 
deemed  necessary  to  dwell  upon  these  painful  oc- 
currences at  any  great  length,  yet  this  sketch 
would  be  incomplete  without  a brief  explanation 
of  their  origin,  progress,  and  results.  The  early 
missions  of  every  country  have  been  beset  with 
similar  difficulties. 

Previous  to  his  departure  from  Maryland,  the 
Very  Rev.  Dr.  Carroll  had  thought  it  prudent  to 
adopt  such  measures  as  would  secure  to  him  a 
competent  support  in  the  new  mission  in  which  he 
was  to  labour.  Accordingly,  an  instrument  of 
writing  was  drawn  up,  by  which  six  of  the  prin- 
cipal emigrants  to  Kentucky  had  bound  themselves 
to  bay  him  annually  the  sum  of  one  hundred 
pounds  in  currency — a sum  about  equal  to  $280 
of  our  present  money.  Yet  F.  Whelen  had  not 
been  more  than  six  months  in  Kentucky,  when 
an  effort  was  made  by  one  or  two  of  the  principal 
contractors  to  have  this  instrument  set  aside  and 
declared  illegal  by  the  courts  of  law.  The  jury  de- 
cided for  the  validity  of  the  contract,  but,  singular- 
ly enough,  subjoined  to  their  verdict  the  clause, 


HIS  TIMES.  47 

that  the  amount  called  for  should  be  paid  in  the 
produce  of  the  country,  and  not  in  money. 

The  prosecutors  were  foiled,  but  still  resolved 
to  use  every  effort  to  be  freed  from  their  engage- 
ment. For  speaking  with  some  vivacity  of  their 
conduct  at  the  trial,  in  the  presence  of  a person 
who  reported  his  words,  probably  with  exaggera- 
tions, to  those  concerned,  F.  Whelan  was  sued  for 
slander,  before  the  same  court;  and  the  jury 
brought  in  a verdict  of  five  hundred  pounds  fine, 
or  imprisonment  until  the  payment  of  this  large 
amount  could  be  secured.  At  that  time,  there  was 
not,  in  all  probability,  that  amount  of  money  in  the 
whole  district  of  Kentucky.  F.  Whelan  was,  in 
fact,  about  to  be  taken  to  prison,  whither  he  cheer- 
fully offered  to  go,  when  the  principal  prosecutor, 
a nominal  Catholic,  offered  to  go  his  bail.  This 
man  was  afterwards  heard  to  boast,  that,  in  the 
fine  thus  imposed,  he  had  an  abundant  off-set  to 
the  amount  called  for  in  the  article  of  agreement. 

The  following  incident  may  serve  to  show  what 
spirit  actuated  the  jury  which  gave  this  strange 
verdict;  and  also,  what  likelihood  there  was  that  a 
Catholic  priest  could  then  expect  a fair  and  impar- 
tial trial.  About  ten  years  afterwards,  the  Rev. 
M.  Badin  was  travelling  some  where  in  what  is  at 
present  Shelby  county ; and  he  stopped  for  the 
night  with  a man  by  the  name  of  Ferguson.  The 
conversation  turned  on  Catholics ; or  the  Romans , 
as  they  were  called  by  ignorant  Protestants ; and 
the  man,  not  suspecting  that  his  guest  was  a Ca- 
tholic priest,  related  the  whole  affair  of  priest  Whe- 
lan’s trial.  He  stated  exultingly  that  he  was  one 
of  the  jury,  and  that  “they  had  tried  very  hard  to 
have  the  priest  hanged,  but  were  sorry  that  they 
could  find  no  law  for  it!!” 


48 


FATHER  WHELAN! 


It  is  not  at  all  surprising,  that  all  these  difficul- 
ties combined  should  have  discouraged  F.  Whe- 
lan, and  hastened  his  departure  from  a mission  be- 
set with  so  many  hardships,  and  where  his  ser- 
vices did  not  appear  to  be  properly  appreciated. 
Accordingly,  he  left  Kentucky  early  in  the  spring 
of  1790,  and  returned  to  Maryland,  by  the  way  of 
New  Orleans.  He  had  laboured  on  this  rude  mis- 
sion for  two  years  and  a half,  with  a zeal  worthy 
of  better  success.  Faults  he  may  have  had;  but 
those  who  are  just  will  be  disposed  to  make  great 
allowances  for  the  peculiar  difficulties  of  his  posi- 
tion. He  was  alone  in  the  heart  of  a vast  wilder- 
ness, with  no  brother  clergyman  to  assist  him  with 
his  advice,  or  to  comfort  him  in  his  troubles.  He 
was  the  only  Catholic  clergyman  west  of  the  Al- 
leghany Mountains,  except,  perhaps,  one  or  two  at 
the  French  stations  on  the  Wabash  and  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  owing  to  the  circumstance,  that  the 
intervening  wilderness  was  infested  with  hostile 
savages,  the  communication  with  these  was  per- 
haps equally  as  difficult  as  that  with  his  brethren 
beyond  the  mountains.  After  his  return  to  Mary- 
land, he  resumed  his  missionary  labours  with  his 
wonted  zeal.  He  seems  to  have  been  stationed 
on  the  eastern  shore,  where  he  continued  to  dis- 
charge his  duties  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  1805  or  1806. 

After  the  departure  of  F.  Whelan,  the  Catholics 
of  Kentucky  were  again  left  without  a pastor.  In 

* We  have  not  been  able,  from  any  sources  of  information 
within  our  reach,  to  ascertain  with  precision  the  names  and 
number  of  these  missionaries  at  that  time.  In  1779,  and  proba- 
bly  for  some  years  afterwards,  M.  Gibault  was  the  priest  station- 
ed at  Post  Vincennes.  (See  Judge  Law’s  Speech,  sup.  cit.)  In 
1792,  M.  Flaget,  the  present  venerable  Bishop  of  Louisville,  was 
engaged  in  this  same  mission,  where  he  laboured  for  more 
than  two  years. 


HIS  TIMES. 


49 


the  following  summer,  however,  there  arrived 
among  them,  in  company  with  a caravan  of  emi- 
grants from  North  Carolina  and  East  Tennessee, 
the  Kev.  Wm.  de  Rohan.  He  seems  to  have  been 
born  in  France,  of  Irish  parentage,  and  was  a re- 
puted doctor  of  the  Sorbonne.  Some  chance  had 
thrown  him  on  the  American  shores ; and  a few 
years  previous  to  his  arrival  in  Kentucky,  he  had 
received  faculties  for  a mission  in  Virginia,  from 
the  Very  Rev.  Dr.  Carroll.  Shortly  afterwards  he 
had  travelled  to  Tennessee,  where  he  remained 
for  more  than  a year.  In  Kentucky,  he  said  Mass 
for  the  Catholics,  visited  the  sick,  and  administer- 
ed the  sacraments  of  Baptism  and  Matrimony ; but 
he  abstained  from  hearing  confessions,  as  he  did 
not  at  first  believe  that  his  powers  extended  to  this 
distant  mission.  He  subsequently  changed  his 
opinion  on  this  subject,  on  the  ground  that  Ken- 
tucky was  a county  of  Virginia  at  the  date  of  his 
faculties,  which  had  been  given  for  the  latter  State, 
or  a portion  of  it.  On  being  informed  of  this  fact, 
the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Carroll,  lately  consecrated  Bishop 
of  Baltimore,  disapproved  of  his  proceedings. 
Mr.  de  Rohan  cheerfully  submitted  to  the  decision 
of  his  superior.. # 

We  will  close  this  chapter  with  a brief  account 
of  the  remarkable  adventures  of  John  Lancaster, 
which  occurred  during  the  period  of  which  we 
have  been  treating.-)*  The  recital  will  show  us 
to  what  dangers  the  early  Catholic  settlers  in  Ken- 
tucky were  constantly  exposed. 

• He  passed  the  last  years  of  his  life  at  the  Theological  Semi- 
nary of  St.  Thomas,  where  he  died  piously,  abut  the  year  1832. 

t Our  information  is  derived  partly  from  the  journal  which  Mr. 
Lancaster  has  left  of  what  happened  to  him  during  the  first  two 
days  of  his  captivity  among  the  Indians ; and  partly  from  the 
statement  of  his  respectable  widow,  to  whose  clear  and  reten- 
tive memory  we  are  also  indebted  for  much  other  valuable  in- 
formation. 


50 


ADVENTURES  OP 


John  Lancaster  was  descending  the  Ohio  river 
in  a flat  boat,  bound  from  Maysville  to  Louisville. 
His  companions  on  the  boat  were  Col.  Joseph 
Mitchell  and  son,  and  Alexander  Brown.  When 
they  had  reached  the  mouth  of  the  Miami  river, 
on  the  8th  of  May,  1T88,  the  boatmen  discovered 
a large  party  of  Indians  lying  in  wait  for  them. 
They  did  not  make  this  fearful  discovery  until  they 
were  very  near  the  party  ; and  unfortunately  the 
current  bore  the  boat  directly  towards  them.  Es- 
cape was  hopeless.  The  savages  displayed  a white 
flag,  in  token  of  friendship  : but  at  the  same  time 
levelled  their  muskets  at  the  man  who  was  at  the 
oar,  and  would  have  shot  him  down,  had  not  the 
chief  interposed.  This  man  was  called  Captain 
Jim,  or  Shawnese  Jim,  and  he  spoke  a little  broken 
English,  which  he  had  probably  learned  at  some 
of  the  British  military  posts  in  the  northwest.  He 
assured  the  white  men  that  his  people  meant  them 
no  harm,  and  that  they  merely  wished  to  trade 
with  them. 

Meantime,  a skiff  manned  by  four  Indians,  was 
seen  to  put  off  from  the  shore,  and  was  rowed 
rapidly  towards  the  boat,  which  it  struck  with  so 
much  violence  as  to  upset  the  skiff,  and  to  precipi- 
tate three  of  the  Indians  into  the  river.  John 
Lancaster  here  showed  great  presence  of  mind,  by 
leaping  promptly  into  the  river,  and  aiding  the 
struggling  Indians  in  their  efforts  to  escape  from 
a watery  grave.  He  succeeded,  and  had  reason  to 
hope  that  he  had  done  much  to  conciliate  their 
good  will — a hope  which  the  event  did  not  how- 
ever justify.  On  entering  the  boat,  the  Indians 
seized  on  the  white  men,  and  made  them  prison- 
ers, two  of  them  struggling  violently  for  the  pos- 
session of  Mr.  Lancaster.  Some  time  after  they 
had  reached  the  shore,  these  same  two  savages 


JOHN  LANCASTER. 


51 


came  to  blows,  and  had  a desperate  fight  on  the 
same  ground  of  quarrel,  when  Captain  Jim  inter- 
posed, and  decided  in  favour  of  the  first  who  had 
seized  the  person  of  the  captive. 

The  boat  was  soon  rowed  to  the  shore  and 
robbed  of  all  its  effects.  The  Indians  then  de- 
camped with  the  booty,  and  the  four  prisoners 
whom  they  had  taken.  The  first  night  was  de- 
voted to  revelry  and  drunkenness  ; the  savages 
having  carried  Avith  them  the  whiskey  with  which 
the  boat  was  partly  laden.  The  prisoners  were 
bound  down  on  their  backs  to  the  earth,  with  cords 
which  were  passed  around  their  limbs  and  bodies, 
and  tied  closely  to  stakes  driven  in  the  ground. 
During  the  whole  night,  the  rain  poured  down  in 
torrents,  on  their  faces  and  bodies;  while  their 
only  covering  was  a blanket,  their  Indian  captors 
having  already  stripped  them  of  their  clothing  and 
money.  They  passed  a sleepless  night,  witness- 
ing the  wild  revelry  of  the  Indians,  and  musing 
sorrowfully  on  the  dreadful  fate  which  probably 
awaited  them  on  the  morrow. 

On  the  next  morning  they  were  released  from 
their  confinement,  and  were  hurried  on  towards 
the  Indian  village  in  the  interior,  which  Mr.  Lan- 
caster estimates  was  about  sixty-five  miles  from 
the  mouth  of  the  Miami,  and  twenty-five  miles 
lower  down  the  Ohio  river.  After  they  had  reach- 
ed their  encampment,  which  was  probably  one  of 
the  Shawnese  towns,  they  were  made  to  witness 
new  scenes  of  stirring  interest.  While  the  cap- 
tives were  gloomily  meditating  on  their  probable 
doom  to  the  stake,  the  Indian  master  of  John  Lan- 
caster suddenly  came  up  to  him,  and  embraced 
him,  shedding  tears,  and  exclaiming,  amidst  sobs 
and  lamentations,  that  “he  was  his  brother,  who 
should  take  the  place  of  one  who  had  been  slain 


52 


ADVENTURES  OP 


during  the  previous  year!”  Immediately  the  In- 
dian ceremony  of  adoption  took  place.  Mr.  Lan- 
caster was  stripped  of  his  blanket,  and  had  his 
body  greased  with  bear’s  oil,  and  painted  of  a Ver- 
million colour.  He  was  then  taught  some  scraps 
of  Indian  song,  and  was  made  to  join  in  the  savage 
festival  which  ensued.  This  consisted  of  songs 
and  the  war-dance,  one  Indian  beating  time  with 
a stick,  the  head  of  which  was  curiously  wrought 
and  trimmed  with  the  hoofs  of  deer.  After  the 
performance  of  this  singular  ceremony,  he  was 
viewed  as  having  been  regularly  adopted  into  the 
Indian  tribe. 

Mr.  Lancaster  continued  a captive  in  the  Indian 
camp  for  eight  days,  during  which  he  made  great 
proficiency  in  the  knowledge  of  Indian  manners 
and  customs.  He  was  called  Kiohba , or  the  Run- 
ning Buck , from  his  remarkable  activity  and  fleet- 
ness of  foot.  He  was  placed  on  an  equal  footing 
with  the  Indians,  and  his  new  brother  treated  him 
with  great  kindness.  After  some  days,  however, 
this  foster  brother  was  sent  off  from  the  camp,  and 
then  he  experienced  rougher  treatment.  Captain 
Jim,  under  whose  charge  he  was  now  left,  became 
sullen  and  vindictive.  He  quarrelled  with  his 
wife,  who,  fearing  his  vengeance,  fled  from  the 
camp.  Jim  immediately  pursued  her,  threatening 
vengeance,  and  was  soon  perceived  returning  to 
the  camp,  after  having,  in  all  probability,  been  her 
murderer.  As  he  was  returning,  his  daughter, 
who  was  well  acquainted  with  her  father’s  moods, 
and  who  had  entertained  a partiality  for  Kiohba , 
said  to  the  latter:  puclcete — run!  He  took  her  ad- 
vice, and  instantly  darted  from  the  camp. 

On  casting  a glance  backward,  from  a neigh- 
bouring eminence,  he  perceived  Captain  Jim  beat- 
ing the  elder  Mitchell  with  a tent  pole.  After  his 


JOHN  LANCASTER. 


53 


final  escape  from  the  Indians,  he  learned  that, 
soon  after  his  departure,  young  Mitchell  was  paint- 
ed black  and  burned  at  the  stake  ; but  that  his  fa- 
ther and  Alexander  Brown,  after  sulfering  almost 
incredable  hardships  and  privations,  were  finally 
ransomed  by  their  friends,  and  returned  to  Pitts- 
burgh. 

John  Lancaster  was  soon  out  of  sight  of  the 
Indian  encampment.  He  took  the  direction  of 
the  Ohio  river,  but  ran  in  different  directions,  and 
crossed  repeatedly  the  various  Indian  trails,  in  or- 
der the  more  easily  to  elude  pursuit.  He  was 
particularly  fearful  of  about  fifty  Indian  dogs  who 
had  been  trained  to  following  the  footsteps  of  man. 
He  was  however  fortunate  enough  to  escape  all 
these  multiplied  dangers;  and  after  running  for 
six  days,  during  which  his  only  subsistence  was 
four  turkey  eggs,  which  he  had  found  in  the  hol- 
low of  a fallen  tree,  he  safely  reached  the  Ohio 
river.  Exhausted  as  he  was,  he  immediately  tied 
himself  with  bark  to  the  trunk  of  a box-elder  tree, 
and  after  four  hours’  unremitting  toil,  succeeded 
in  crossing  to  the  Kentucky  side.  While  crossing 
he  had  swallowed  much  water;  and  he  now 
perceived  that  his  strength  had  almost  entirely 
failed. 

After  resting  a short  time,  he  determined  to  float 
down  the  river,  to  the  station  at  the  Falls,  which 
he  estimated  was  between  twenty  and  thirty  miles 
distant.  Accordingly,  he  made  a small  raft,  by 
tying  two  trees  together  with  bark,  on  which  he 
placed  himself,  with  a pole  for  an  oar.  When  a 
little  above  eighteen  mile  Island,  he  heard  the 
sharp  report  of  a rifle,  when,  thinking  that  his 
pursuers  had  overtaken  him,  he  crouched  down 
on  his  little  raft,  and  concealed  himself  as  best  he 
could.  Hearing  no  other  noise,  however,  he  con- 


54 


ADVENTURES,  &C. 


eluded  that  his  alarm  was  without  foundation, 
But  shortly  after,  a dreadful  storm  broke  upon  the 
river;  night  had  already  closed  in,  and  he  sank 
exhausted  and  almost  lifeless  on  his  treacherous 
raft,  drenched  with  the  rain,  benumbed  with  cold, 
and  with  the  terrible  apprehension  cyi  his  mind, 
that  he  might  be  precipitated  over  the  Falls  during 
the  night. 

At  break  of  day,  he  was  aroused  from  his  death- 
like lethargy,  by  one  of  the  most  cheering  sounds 
that  ever  fell  on  the  ears  of  a forlorn  and  lost  wan- 
derer— the  crowing  of  a cock — which  announced 
the  immediate  vicinity  of  a white  settlement.  The 
sound  revived  him ; he  collected  all  his  energies 
for  one  last  effort,  and  sat  upright  on  his  little  raft. 
Soon,  in  the  grey  light  of  the  morning,  he  discov- 
ered the  cabins  of  his  countrymen,  and  Avas  enabled 
to  effect  a landing  at  the  mouth  of  Beargrass — the 
site  of  the  present  city  of  Louisville.  He  immedi- 
ately rejoined  his  friends,  and  their  warm  welcome 
soon  made  him  forget  all  his  past  sufferings.  He 
lived  for  many  years  to  recount  his  adventures;  and 
died  a few  years  ago  of  a good  old  age,  surround- 
ed by  his  children  and  his  children’s  children. 


CHAPTER  IV. 


Reverend  M.  Badin  in  Kentucky. m — 
From  1793  to  1797. 


The  French  Revolution — Virtues  of  the  exiled  French  Clergy— 
M.  Badin— His  early  studies — Anecdote— His  firm  attachment 
to  the  faith — He  sails  for  America— Singular  coincidence — An- 
ecdote of  Bishop  Carroll — M.  Badin  appointed  to  the  missions  of 
Kentucky— Characteristic  conversation  between  him  and  Bish- 
op Carroll — Departure  for  Kentucky — Delay  at  Gallipolis— 
Arrival — M.  Bariieres — M.  Badin  alone  in  Kentucky — His 
troubles — Christian  friendship — M.  Rivet — M.  Badm’s  labours 
in  Kentucky — His  missionary  stations — Teaching  Catechism- 
Morning  and  evening  prayer — His  Maxims — Curious  anecdote— 
Hearing  confessions — Dancing— Anecdotes — Stfange  notions  re- 
specting Catholic  priests — M.  Badin’s  privations — His  disinter- 
ested zeal— His  dangeis  and  adventures — How  to  cure  the  pleu- 
risy— St.  Paul. 

The  tide  of  emigration  had  continued  to  set  so 
strongly  towards  Kentucky,  that,  on  its  admission 
into  the  Union,  in  1792,  the  population  amounted 
to  about  70,000.  The  Catholic  portion  of  this 
large  population  had  been,  in  a great  measure,  de- 
prived of  all  pastoral  succor,  since  the  departure 
of  F.  Whelan,  in  1790.  The  next  mission  to  this 

* For  almost  all  the  facts  contained  in  this  chapter,  we  are 
indebted  to  the  Very  Rev.  S.  T.  Badin,  whose  tenacious  memory 
of  facts  and  dates  is  really  astonishing,  considering  his  advanc- 
ed age  and  the  hardships  through  which  he  has  passed.  Like 
most  old  persons,  he  remembers  events  long  passed  much  better 
than  those  of  more  recent  occurrence; 

F 


56 


KEV.  M.  BAD  IN  IN  KENTUCKY 


remote  part  of  the  vast  Diocess  of  Baltimore,  was 
commenced  under  better  auspices,  and  was  des- 
tined to  be  more  permanent. 

The  French  Revolution  had  declared  a war  of 
extermination  against  the  Catholic  religion  and 
clergy.  Many  of  the  latter  had  been  driven  from 
France,  and  compelled  to  seek  shelter  in  England, 
Spain,  and  the  United  States.  The  ways  of  Di- 
vine Providence  are  truly  admirable : God  often 
draws  the  greatest  good  out  of  the  greatest  evil. 
Many  of  the  most  zealous  of  the  French  clergy, 
expelled  from  their  native  country,  transferred  their 
labours  to  other  lands,  and  scattered  the  good  seed 
of  the  Gospel  on  the  soil  of  distant  regions.  Thus 
persecution,  instead  of  destroying  religion,  served 
rather  to  diffuse  it  over  the  world.  The  exiled 
clergy  of  France,  in  conformity  with  the  advice  of 
our  Blessed  Lord,  when  persecuted  in  one  city, 
fled  to  another;  spreading  wherever  they  went 
the  good  odour  of  Christ.  By  the  fruits  which 
their  zeal  every  where  produced,  God  proclaimed 
the  virtues  of  his  persecuted  servants,  and  con- 
firmed the  divinity  of  a religion,  the  spirit  of  which 
persecution  could  not  quench,  or  even  diminish. 

The  Catholic  Church  in  the  United  States  is 
deeply  indebted  to  the  zeal  of  the  exiled  French 
clergy;  no  portion  of  the  American  church  owes 
more  to  them  than  that  of  Kentucky.  They  sup- 
plied our  infant  missions  with  most  of  their  earli- 
est and  most  zealous  labourers ; and  they  like- 
wise gave  to  us  our  first  Bishops.  There  is  some- 
thing in  the  elasticity  and  bouyancy  of  character 
of  the  French,  which  adapts  them  in  a peculiar 
manner  to  foreign  missions.  They  have  always 
been  the  best  missionaries  among  the  North  Ameri- 
can Indians ; they  can  mould  their  character  to 
suit  every  circumstance  and  emergency.  They 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS. 


can  be  at  home  and  cheerful  every  where.  The 
French  clergy  who  landed  on  our  shores,  though 
many  of  them  had  been  trained  up  amidst  all  the 
refinements  of  polished  France,  could  yet  submit 
without  a murmur  to  all  the  hardships  and  priva- 
tions of  a mission  on  the  frontiers  of  civilization, 
or  in  the  veiy  heart  of  the  wilderness.  They 
could  adapt  themselves  to  the  climate,  and  mould 
themselves  to  the  feelings  and  habits  of  a people 
congenial  to  them  in  temperament  and  character. 

One  of  these  French  clerical  refugees,  the  Rev. 
Stephen  Theodore  Badin,  was  the  man  appointed 
by  Divine  Providence  to  succeed  the  Rev.  F. 
Whelan  in  the  missions  of  Kentucky,  and  to  be- 
come one  of  the  chief  religious  pioneers  of  the 
west.  This  indefatigable  and  venerable  mission- 
ary, still  lingering  above  the  horizon  of  life,  cele- 
brated, during  the  last  year,  the  fiftieth  anniversa- 
ry of  his  arrival  in  Kentucky,  by  offering  up  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  in  Lexington,  the  first  place  at 
which  he  had  said  Mass  on  his  reaching  the  State. 
Before  we  speak  of  his  missionary  labours  among 
us,  a few  incidents  of  his  early  life  will  not,  per- 
haps, be  out  of  place. 

M.  Badin  was  born  of  pious  parents,  at  Orleans, 
in  France,  on  the  17th  of  July,  1768.  He  was  the 
third  of  fifteen  children,  and  the  oldest  son.  His 
parents,  pleased  with  the  sprightliness  of  his  mind, 
determined  to  give  him  a finished  classical  educa- 
tion. They  accordingly  sent  him  to  the  College 
Montagu  in  Paris,  where  he  remained  for  three 
years.  He  distinguished  himself  among  his  fel- 
low students,  and  soon  mastered  the  ancient  clas- 
sical writers  so  thoroughly,  that  he  can  quote  them 
with  facility  even  to  this  day.  While  at  this  col- 
lege, he  gave  frequent  evidences  of  that  ready  wit 

F ^ 


58  REV.  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY  : 

for  which  he  was  so  conspicuous  in  after  life.  We 
will  give  one  little  incident  of  this  kind. 

His  professor  of  Greek  was  as  remarkable  for  his 
penuriousness  as  he  was  for  his  ardent  attachment 
to  the  ancient  Greek  authors.  He  often  gave  his 
lessons  to  youths  trembling  with  cold,  though  it 
was  his  place  to  have  the  lecture-room  warmed 
at  his  own  expense.  One  day,  he  was  lecturing 
on  the  beauties  of  Homer,  and  in  his  enthusiasm 
remarked  to  his  shivering  hearers,  that  reading 
Homer  was  enough  to  warm  any  one.  “It  is  at 
least  very  cheap  fuel” — remarked  M.  Badin,  look- 
ing significantly  at  the  two  little  sticks  of  wood 
on  the  fire.  All  the  students  smiled,  and  the  pro- 
fessor had  a blazing  fire  in  the  room  the  next  day. 

Having  determined  to  study  for  the  church,  he, 
in  the  year  1789,  entered  the  flourishing  Theolo- 
gical Seminary  conducted  by  the  Sulpicians,  at 
Orleans.  Here  he  remained  for  two  years,  until 
the  Seminary  was  dissolved,  in  1791.  The  cir- 
cumstances which  attended  its  dissolution  served 
to  set  forth,  in  the  strongest  light,  the  unalterable 
attachment  of  M.  Badin  to  the  Catholic  faith,  and 
that  unyielding  firmness  of  purpose,  which  was 
a principal  feature  in  his  character  throughout  life. 
The  Bishop  of  Orleans  had  unhappily  taken  the  odi- 
ous constitutional  oath ; and  M.  Badin,  with  the 
great  body  of  the  seminarians,  determined  that  he 
would  not  be  ordained  by  such  a prelate.  Accord- 
ingly, early  in  July,  1791,  about  a week  before 
the  great  anniversary  of  the  taking  of  the  Bastile, 
he  and  the  majority  of  his  companions  left  the 
seminary,  fearing,  also,  that  on  that  day  they 
might  be  involved  in  difficulties  about  the  oath. 

Not  being  as  yet  in  Holy  Orders,  he  returned  to 
his  parents,  with  whom  he  remained  until  the  3rd 
of  November,  1791 ; at  which  time  he  left  his  fa-= 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS.  59 

ther’s  house  for  Bordeaux,  where  he  had  determin- 
ed to  embark  for  America.  Here  he  met  with  the 
Rev.  MM.  Piaget  and  David,  whose  company  he 
enjoyed  on  the  voyage.  Divine  Providence  thus 
caused  the  three  men,  who  were  afterwards  des- 
tined most  to  signalize  their  zeal  on  the  missions 
of  Kentucky,  to  meet  together  from  different  parts 
of  France,  without  any  previous  concert,  and  to 
sail  on  the  same  ship  for  America.  After  many 
years  of  arduous  missionary  duty,  in  different 
parts  of  the  United  States,  these  same  three  de- 
voted missionaries  met  again  amidst  the  waving 
forests  of  our  State,  where  two  of  them  are  yet 
living. 

These  distinguished  exiles  from  France  reach- 
ed Philadelphia  on  the  26th,  and  Baltimore  on  the 
28th  of  March,  1792.  They  found  that  another 
illustrious  colony  of  French  priests  had  already 
arrived  in  Baltimore,  six  months  before.0 

Early  on  the  morning  following  their  arrival  in 
Baltimore,  the  exiles  went  to  pay  their  respects  to 
Bishop  Carroll.  They  met  him  on  the  way  has- 
tening to  pay  them  the  first  visit ; and  they  apolo- 
gized to  him  for  the  tardiness  which  had  prevent- 
ed them  from  visiting  him  first.  Bishop  Carroll, 
smiling  and  bowing  to  them,  said,  with  ineffable 
grace  and  dignity : it  is  surely  little  enough,  gen- 
tlemen, that  1 should  be  the  first  to  visit  you,  see- 
ing that  you  have  come  1500  leagues  to  see  me.” 

M.  Badin  was  ordained  priest  by  Bishop  Car- 
roll,  in  the  old  cathedral  of  St.  Peter’s,  on  the  25th 
of  May,  1793.  He  was  the  first  priest  that  was 
ever  ordained  in  the  United  States.  He  shortly 
afterwards  went  to  Georgetown  College,  to  perfect 

* On  the  breaking  up  of  the  seminary  at  Orleans,  M.  Chicoig- 
neau,  the  superior,  had  also  proposed  to  emigrate  to  America  ; 
but  some  cause  detained  him  in  France. 

F 3 


60 


REV,  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY  : 


himself  in  the  knowledge  of  the  English.  To 
show  the  rapid  increase  of  Catholic  clergymen  in 
the  United  States,  at  that  time,  we  may  here  men- 
tion the  fact,  that  when  F.  Whelan  was  sent  to 
Kentucky,  in  1T8T,  there  were  scarcely  twenty  in 
the  whole  Union ; whereas,  there  were  twenty- 
four  who  attended  the  first  Synod  held  in  Balti- 
more by  Bishop  Carroll,  in  1791,  besides  a great 
number  employed  on  the  distant  missions. 

The  mission  of  Kentucky  still  continued  in  a 
destitute  condition  ; and  Bishop  Carroll’s  zeal  for 
all  portions  of  his  extensive  flock  was  quickened 
by  frequent  and  urgent  applications  for  a pastor 
from  the  Catholics  of  that  distant  region.  He  se- 
lected M.  Badinfor  this  arduous  mission,  and  soon 
communicated  his  wishes  to  him.  M.  Badin 
manifested  great  reluctance  to  undertake  so  diffi- 
cult a task;  he  represented  his  youth — he  was 
but  twenty-five  years  of  age — his  slight  acquaint- 
ance with  the  English  language,  and  his  inexperi- 
ence. He  earnestly  requested  that  some  one  of 
more  mature  age,  and  better  qualified,  might  be 
appointed.  Bishop  Carroll  listened  to  his  reasons 
with  great  meekness  ; and  finally  proposed  that  no 
decisive  step  should  be  taken  for  nine  days,  during 
which  both  should  unite  in  prayer,  and  recom- 
mend the  matter  to  God,  by  performing  a novena 
in  unison.  M.  Badin  acceded  to  the  proposal,  and 
departed.  On  the  ninth  day  he  returned  accord- 
ing to  appointment,  when  the  following  character- 
istic conversation  took  place. 

Bishop  Carroll.  “ Well,  M.  Badin,  1 have  pray- 
ed, and  I continue  still  in  the  same  mind.” 

M.  Badin,  smiling:  “I  have  also  prayed ; and  I 
am  likewise  of  the  same  mind  as  before.  Of  what 
utility,  then,  has  been  our  nine  days’  prayer?” 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS. 


61 


Bishop  Carroll  smiled  too ; and  after  a pause, 
resumed  with  great  dignity  and  sweetness : “I  lay 
no  command ; but  I think  it  is  the  will  of  Cod 
that  you  should  go.” 

M.  Badin  instantly  answered  with  great  earnest- 
ness: “I  will  go,  then,”  and  he  immediately  set 
about  making  the  necessary  preparations  for  the 
journey. 

The  event  justified  Bishop  Carroll’s  choice. 
The  buoyant  elasticity,  the  persevering  zeal,  and 
the  indomitable  energy  of  M.  Badin’s  character, 
had  not  escaped  his  quick  eye  ; and  his  great  fore- 
cast and  wonderful  power  of  discriminating  cha- 
racter, were  not,  at  least  in  the  present  instance, 
at  fault.  Perhaps,  among  all  the  clergy  attached 
to  the  vast  Diocess  of  Baltimore,  at  that  time, 
there  was  not  one  better  suited  to  the  rugged  mis- 
sion of  Kentucky,  than  M.  Badin. 

Bishop  Carroll,  in  consideration  of  M.  Badin’s 
youth,  assigned  to  him  as  a companion  a more 
aged  clergyman — the  Rev.  M.  Barrieres,  who  was 
constituted  Vicar  General  in  the  distant  missiona- 
ry district.  The  two  missionaries  left  Baltimore 
on  the  6th  of  September,  1793,  and  travelled,  like 
the  Apostles,  on  foot  to  Pittsburgh,  over  bad  roads, 
and  a rugged  wilderness  country.  On  the  3rd  of 
November,  they  embarked  on  a flat  boat,  which 
was  descending  the  Ohio,  in  company  with  six 
others.  These  boats  were  all  well  armed,  for  fear 
of  an  attack  from  the  Indians.  About  that  time, 
however,  Gen’l.  Wayne  was  preparing  his  great 
expedition  against  them ; and  they  had  enough 
to  do  to  defend  their  own  wigwams,  without 
prowling  about  near  the  frontier  settlements. 

The  boats  were  seven  days  in  going  down  to 
Gallipolis ; and  between  this  place  and  Pittsburgh, 
the  travellers  saw  but  two  small  towns — Wheel- 


62  REV.  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY  : 

ing  and  Marietta.  The  two  priests  remained  for 
three  days  at  Gallipolis,  the  inhabitants  of  which 
place  were  French  Catholics,  who  had  been  long 
without  a pastor.  They  heartily  welcomed  the 
missionaries,  who,  during  their  brief  stay,  sang 
High  Mass  in  the  garrison,  and  baptized  forty  chil- 
dren. The  good  French  colonists  were  delighted; 
and  shed  tears  on  their  departure.  They  were 
but  a remnant  of  a large  French  colony  of  about 
7,000,  who  had  emigrated  to  America  four  or  five 
years  previously.  A French  land  company  had 
purchased  for  them  a large  territory  on  the  Scioto 
river : but  the  title  to  these  lands  proved  defective; 
the  colonists  were  defrauded,  and  many  of  them 
returned  in  disgust  to  France,  bitterly  inveighing 
against  Yankee  shrewdness  in  bargaining. 

The  two  missionaries  landed  at  Limestone,  or 
Maysville,  where  there  were  at  that  time  about 
twenty  families.  They  proceeded  on  foot  to  Lex- 
ington, a distance  of  about  65  miles.  They 
passed  the  first  night  in  an  open  mill,  six  miles 
from  Limestone,  lodging  on  the  mill-bags,  without 
any  covering,  during  a cold  night,  late  in  Novem- 
ber. On  the  next  day,  they  passed  the  battle- 
ground of  the  Blue  Licks,  where  M.  Barrieres 
picked  up  the  skull  of  one  of  those  who  had  fall- 
en there  eleven  years  before.  He  carried  it  with 
him,  and  retained  it,  as  a relic  of  the  disastrous 
battle,  and  as  a memento  of  death.  On  the  first 
Sunday  of  Advent,  M.  Badin  said  Mass,  for  the 
first  time  in  Kentucky,  at  Lexington,  in  the  house 
of  Dennis  M’Carthy,  an  Irish  Catholic,  who  acted 
as  clerk  in  the  commercial  house  of  Col.  Moyland, 
brother  of  the  then  Bishop  of  Cork. 

The  missionaries  had  with  then  but  one  chalice; 
and  after  having  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  M. 
Badin  travelled  sixteen  miles,  to  the  Catholic  set- 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS. 


63 


tlement  in  Scott  county,  where  M.  Barrieres  said 
Mass  on  the  same  day.  Preparations  were  then 
in  progress  to  erect  in  this  place  a frame  church. 
M.  Badin  remained  in  Scott  county  for  about 
eighteen  months,  occasionally  visiting  the  other 
Catholic  settlements  in  Kentucky ; M.  Barrieres 
proceeded  immediately  to  take  charge  of  the  Ca- 
tholic families  in  the  vicinity  of  Bardstown. 

The  difficulties  of  the  times,  and  the  rude  state 
of  society  in  the  infant  colonies,  soon  determined 
M.  Barrieres  to  leave  the  country.  His  habits  had 
been  already  formed,  and  he  thought  that  he  could 
not  adapt  himself  to  the  new  state  of  things  in 
the  wilderness.  Accordingly,  about  four  months 
after  his  arrival  in  Kentucky,  he  left  the  State.  In 
April,  1794,  he  departed  from  Louisville,  in  a 
pirogue#  for  New  Orleans,  which,  with  all  Louisi- 
ana and  Missouri,  was  then  in  possession  of  the 
Spaniards. 

The  Spanish  government  was  at  that  time  appre- 
hending an  attack  on  Louisiana  from  the  French 
Republic  ; and  M.  Barrieres,  being  a Frenchman, 
was  arrested  and  detained  for  some  time  at  New 
Madrid.  He  immediately  wrote  to  Baron  Caran- 
dolet,  the  Spanish  Governor  of  Louisiana,  repre- 
senting the  objects  of  his  visit:  and  the  Baron 
soon  liberated  him,  and  permitted  him  to  proceed 
without  farther  molestation,  to  New  Orleans. 
Shortly  after  his  arrival  in  this  city,  he  went  to 
Attakapas,  where  he  laboured  zealously  in  the  mis- 
sions for  nearly  twenty  years.  In  1814,  he  sailed 
for  Bordeaux,  where  he  died  eight  days  after  his 
arrival.  About  twenty-three  years  before,  he  had 
escaped  from  a prison  of  this  city,  and  from  the 

* A large  species  of  canoe,  then  much  used  on  the  Ohio  and 
Mississippi. 


64 


REV.  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY.* 


death  Avhich  probably  awaited  him  at  the  hands  of 
the  French  Jacobins  ; and  he  had  sailed  from  this 
port  for  America  : and  now  he  returned  to  the  same 
place,  but  to  breathe  his  last. 

M.  Badin  was  now  left  alone  in  the  heart  of  the 
wilderness.  Keenly  as  he  felt  the  desolation  of 
heart  which  this  state  of  isolation  brought  with  it? 
he  yet  reposed  his  whole  trust  in  God,  who  abun- 
dantly consoled  him  in  all  his  tribulations.  He 
remained  alone  for  nearly  three  years,  and  was  at 
one  time  twenty-one  months  without  an  opportu- 
nity of  going  to  confession.  He  had  to  form  the 
new  congregations,  to  erect  churches  at  suitable 
places,  and  to  attend  to  the  spiritual  wants  of  the 
Catholic  settlements  scattered  over  Kentucky ; and 
he  had  to  do  all  this  alone,  and  without  any  advice 
or  assistance.  Well  might  he  exclaim:  “Oh!  how 
much  anguish  of  heart,  how  many  sighs,  and  how 
many  tears,  grow  out  of  a condition  so  desolate  !”# 
Still  he  was  not  cast  down,  notwithstanding  all 
his  perplexities. 

His  mind  was  also  soothed  by  the  cheering 
voice  of  friendship.  The  nearest  Catholic  priest 
was  M.  Rivet,  who  was  stationed  at  Post  Vin- 
cennes in  1795,  shortly  after  the  departure  from 
that  station  of  that  illustrious  missionary  pioneer, 
the  Rev.  M.  Flaget.  In  France,  he  had  been  pro- 
fessor of  Rhetoric  in  the  College  of  Limoges : 
and  he  still  continued  to  write  Latin  poetry  with 
ease  and  elegance.  He  occasionally  sent  his  Latin 
poems  to  M.  Badin,  who  also,  as  we  shall  see, 
excelled  in  this  species  of  composition.  When 
the  French  Revolution  burst  over  Europe,  M.  Ri- 

* From  a brief  statement  of  the  missions  of  Kentucky  drawn 
up  by  M.  Badin,  while  in  France  in  the  year  1822,  and  publish- 
ed in  the  “Annales  de  la’Propagation  de  la  Foy,”  for  1823,  No. 
2.  This  statement  is  very  condensed,  but  admirably  written. 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS. 


65 


vet  took  refuge  in  Spain,  where  the  Archbishop  of 
Cordova  made  him  his  Vicar  General,  for  the  ben- 
efit of  the  numerous  French  refugees  who  had 
taken  shelter  beyond  the  Pirrenees. 

He  and  M.  Badin  mutually  consoled  each  oth- 
er, by  carrying  on  as  brisk  a correspondence  as 
the  difficulties  of  the  times  would  permit.  There 
were  then,  however,  no  post  offices  in  the  west ; 
and  the  frowning  wilderness  which  interposed 
between  these  two  friends  rendered  the  exchange 
of  letters  extremely  difficult ; and  wholly  pre- 
cluded the  possibility  of  their  visiting  each  other; 
even  if  this  had  been  permitted  by  the  onerous 
duties  with  which  each  was  charged.  M.  Rivet 
had  discovered  at  Vincennes  a precious  document 
of  the  old  Jesuit  missions  among  the  Indians  of 
the  northwest.  It  consisted  of  two  large  folio 
volumes  in  manuscript,  containing  the  Mass,  with 
musical  notes,  and  explanations  of  it,  together  with 
catechetical  instructions,  in  the  Indian  language. 
This  document  has  probably  since  disappeared. 

When  M.  Badin  first  came  to  Kentucky,  he  esti- 
mated the  number  of  Catholic  families  in  the 
State  at  three  hundred.  These  were  much  scat- 
tered ; and  the  number  was  constantly  on  the  in- 
crease, especially  after  Wayne’s  victory  in  1794, 
and  the  treaty  of  Greenville  in  the  following  year. 
There  was  then  but  one  Catholic  in  Bardstown — 
Mr.  A.  Sanders,  to  whose  liberality  and  generous 
hospitality  the  clergy  of  the  early  church  in  Ken- 
tucky were  so  much  indebted. 

He  found  the  Catholics  suffering  greatly  from 
previous  neglect,  and  in  a wretched  state  of  disci- 
pline. Left  alone  with  this  extensive  charge,  he 
had  to  exert  himself  to  the  utmost,  and,  as  it  were, 
to  multiply  himelf,  in  order  to  be  able  to  meet  every 
spiritual  want  of  his  numerous  flock.  As  the  Ca- 


66 


REV.  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY  .' 


tholics  were  then  almost  wholly  without  churches 
or  chapels,  he  was  under  the  necessity  of  estab- 
lishing stations  at  suitable  points,  in  private 
houses.  These  stations  extended  from  Madison 
to  Hardin  county — a distance  of  more  than  a hun- 
dred and  twenty  miles ; and  to  visit  them  all  with 
regularity,  he  was  compelled  almost  to  live  on 
horseback.  He  estimates  that,  during  his  sojourn 
in  Kentucky,  he  must  have  rode  on  horseback  at 
least  100,000  miles.  1 Often  was  he  exhausted 
with  his  labours,  and  weighed  down  with  the  “so- 
licitude of  all  the  churches.” 

His  chief  stations  during  this  time  were  those 
at  Lexington,  in  Scott  county,  in  Madison  county, 
in  Mercer  county — where  there  were  then  about 
ten  families — at  Holy  Cross,  at  Bardstown,  on 
Cartwright’s  Creek — two  miles  from  the  present 
church  of  St.  Rose — on  Hardin’s  Creek,  on  the 
Rolling  Fork,  in  Hardin  county,  and  at  Poplar 
Neck  on  the  Beech  Fork. 

In  all  these  places,  except  Madison  and  Mercer 
counties, # there  are  now  fine  brick  churches  ; but 
at  the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking, there  was 
not  one  of  any  kind,  except  a miserable  log  cha- 
pel, on  the  site  of  the  present  church  of  Holy 
Cross  ; and  this  had  been  erected  at  the  instance 
of  M.  De  Rohan,  before  the  arrival  of  M.  Badin  in 
Kentucky.  This  temporary  hut  was  covered  with 
clapboards,  and  was  unprovided  with  glass  in  the 
windows.  A slab  of  wood  roughly  hewed,  served 
for  an  altar.  Such  was  the  first  Catholic  church 
in  Kentucky!  As  it  was  situated  near  the  centre 
of  the  Catholic  settlements,  M.  Badin  soon  took 

* The  Catholics  have  since,  in  a great  measure,  removed  from 
both  of  these  counties  ; and,  in  consequence,  the  brick  church 
formerly  erected  in  DanviJle,  Mercer  county,  has  been  dis- 
posed of. 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS, 


67 


up  his  residence  near  it ; and  it  then  became  the 
central  point  of  his  mission,  and  the  alma  mater 
of  Catholic  churches  in  Kentucky.  He  subse- 
quently erected  a temporary  chapel  at  his  own  re- 
sidence, three  miles  from  Holy  Cross : this  he 
called  St.  Stephen’s,  after  his  patron  Saint. 

M.  Badin  was  indefatigable  in  his  elforts  to 
awake  piety,  and  to  restore  a proper  discipline 
among  his  flock.  He  insisted  particularly  on  hav- 
ing servants  and  children  taught  the  catechism. 
At  every  station  he  had  regular  catechists,  whose 
duty  it  was  to  teach  them  the  elements  of  the  faith. 
He  displayed  on  all  occasions  particular  zeal  in  the 
instruction  of  poor  servants  of  colour.  Whenever 
he  visited  a Catholic  family,  it  was  his  invariable 
custom  to  have  public  prayers,  followed  by  cat- 
echetical instructions.  He  every  where  inculcated 
by  word  and  example  the  pious  practice  of  having 
morning  and  evening  prayer  in  families.  He  was 
in  the  habit  of  repeating  to  children,  in  his  usual 
emphatic  and  pointed  manner,  the  following  max- 
ims : uMy  children,  mind  this  ; no  morning  pray- 
er, no  breakfast;  no  evening  prayer,  no  supper:” 
and,  “my  children,  be  good,  and  you  will  never  be 
sorry  for  it.” 

His  zeal  for  promoting  the  regular  practice  of 
morning  and  evening  prayers,  occasionally  betray- 
ed him  into  some  eccentricities.  Once,  a man 
travelling  to  the  Green  river  country,  called  at  his 
residence  at  St.  Stephen’s,  at  a late  hour  in  the 
evening,  requesting  permission  to  stay  during  the 
night.  M.  Badin  cheerfully  granted  the  request, 
telling  him  at  the  same  time,  that  he  was  a Catho- 
lic priest,  and  could  charge  nothing  for  his  hospi- 
tality. The  man  looked  a little  shy,  but  thanked 
him  for  his  kindness.  When,  after  supper,  he 
was  about  to  retire  to  rest,  M.  Badin  asked  him, 


68  KEV.  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY  * 

whether  he  had  said  his  night  prayers?  The  mam 
looked  blank,  and  answered  in  the  negative, 
“ Well,”  rejoined  M.  Badin,  “I  have  already  said 
my  prayers,  but  I will  cheerfully  say  them  again 
to  accommodate  you,  and  to  bear  you  company.” 
Then  he  immediately  fell  on  his  knees,  the  man 
following  his  example,  and  said  aloud  the  usual 
prayers.  As  he  was  lighting  his  guest  to  his  room, 
he  told  him,  “that  he  might  die  before  mornings 
and  that  he  should  never  retire  to  rest  without 
preparing  himself  for  death.”  On  the  next  morn- 
ing, M.  Badin  went  to  awake  the  stranger,  but  he 
had,  it  seems,  said  prayers  enough  already,  and 
had  escaped  before  the  dawn  of  day. 

On  reaching  a station,  M.  Badij  would  general- 
ly hear  confessions  till  about  one  o’clock.  Mean- 
time,  the  people  recited  the  Rosary  at  intervals , 
and  the  boys,  girls,  and  servants,  were  taught 
catechism  by  the  regular  catechists.  Hearing 
confessions  was  the  most  burdensome  duty  he 
had  to  discharge  ; and  he  was  fully  aware  of  its 
deep  and  awful  responsibility.  He  spared  no  la- 
bour nor  pains  to  impart  full  instructions  to  his 
penitents,  who  thronged  his  confessional  from  an 
early  hour.  So  great,  in  fact,  was  their  number, 
that  he  found  it  expedient  to  distribute  among 
them  tickets,  fixing  the  order  in  which  they  should 
approach  the  holy  tribunal,  according  to  priority 
of  arrival  at  the  church.  He  was  a thorough 
tactician,  and  was  inflexible  in  maintaining  this 
order.  Frequently,  persons  would  be  obliged  to 
make  several  attempts  before  they  could  succeed 
in  going  to  confession. 

He  was  always  an  implacable  enemy  of  dancing, 
which,  in  the  rude  state  of  society  at  that  early 
period,  was  often  attended  with  great  disorders. 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS.  69 

The  following. amusing  anecdotes  will  illustrate 
the  manner  in  which  he  warred  against  the 
practice. 

Some  time  in  the  year  1795,  or  1796,  the  Cath- 
olics on  Pottinger’s  Creek  got  up  a dancing-school, 
and  employed  an  Irish  Catholic  as  dancing-mas- 
ter. In  his  regular  visit  to  the  neighbourhood, 
M.  Badin  repaired  as  usual  to  the  station  on  Satur- 
day evening,  to  hear  confessions  and  to  teach  cate- 
chism to  the  children.  He  found  very  few  in 
attendance,  and  soon  learned  that  they  were  all 
gone  to  the  dancing-school,  at  a neighbouring 
school-house.  He  immediately  went  thither  him- 
self, and  his  appearance  disturbed,  in  no  slight 
degree,  the  proceedings  of  the  merry  assemblage : 
“My  children,”  said  he,  smiling,  as  he  stood  in 
the  middle  of  the  room,  “it  is  all  very  well : but 
where  the  children  are,  there  the  father  must  also 
be  ; and  where  the  flock  is,  there  the  pastor  must 
attend.”  He  caused  them  all  to  sit  down,  and  he 
gave  them  a long  lesson  in  their  catechism.  On 
the  following  morning,  he  said  Mass  for  them  in 
the  same  apartment,  and  caused  the  dancing-mas- 
ter himself  to  attend. 

He  sometimes  arrived  unexpectedly  at  a house, 
in  the  evening,  while  dancing  was  going  on,  glided 
into  the  room  before  any  erne  perceived  it,  and 
told  them  smiling,  “that  it  was  time  for  night 
prayers.”  The  action  was  suited  to  the  word,  and 
most  of  the  merry  dancers  generally  effected  their 
escape  before  the  close  of  the  evening  devotions. 
He  managed  all  this  with  so  much  tact  and  good 
humour,  that  the  people,  acquainted  with  his  ec- 
centricity, and  respecting  his  zeal,  were  not  usual- 
ly offended  at  his  conduct. 

It  is  indeed  strange,  what  ideas  many  Protest- 
ants then  had  of  a Catholic  Priest.  They  viewed 


TO 


REV.  M.  BADIN  IN  KENTUCKY  : 


him  as  something  singular  and  unearthly,  wholly 
different  from  any  other  mortal.  Often,  Avhen  M. 
Badin  was  travelling,  he  observed  people  peeping 
timidly  at  him  from  behind  the  corners  of  houses  : 
and  once,  in  particular,  when  it  was  rumoured 
through  a neighborhood,  that  the  priest  was  coming 
to  a certain  house,  a party  concealed  themselves  in 
the  woods  near  the  road,  in  order  to  have  a peep  at 
him  as  he  was  passing.  They  were  alterwards 
heard  to  wonder  that  the  priest  was  like  any  other 
man,  and  that  he  was  no  great  show  after  all! 
And  yet  these  people  lived  in  an  age  of  “open  Bi- 
bles,” and  of  boasted  enlightenment!  And  yet 
the  preachers,  who  are  mainly  chargeable  with 
keeping  up  this  absurd  prejudice,  have  still  the 
assurance  to  charge  the  Catholic  priests  with  keep- 
ing the  people  in  ignorance  !!  This  bigotry  has 
indeed  abated,  but  it  is  not  yet  wholly  extinct. 

In  his  solitary  and  forlorn  condition,  M.  Badin 
was  Avholly  deprived  of  the  luxuries,  and  often 
suffered  for  the  very  necessaries  of  life.  His  cloth- 
ing was  made  of  cloth  manufactured  in  the  coun- 
try :m  and  his  food,  besides  being  often  scanty 
enough,  was  of  the  coarsest  kind.  For  several 
years,  he  was  often  compelled  to  grind  his  own 
corn  on  the  hand-mill.  He  asked  for  his  support 
the  hundredth  bushel  of  grain  that  was  raised  by 
the  members  of  his  congregation ; but  for  various 
reasons  he  did  not  usually  receive  the  thousandth. 
Once,  he  was  for  many  days  without  bread,  at  his 
own  residence  of  St.  Stephen’s;  until  the  good  Mr. 
Sanders,  who  became  accidently  apprised  of  the 
fact,  sent  him  the  necessary  supply. 

* Judge  Broadanax  used  to  compliment  him  for  his  patriotism, 
in  thus  encouraging  domestic  manufactures:  but  there  was  evi- 
dently more  of  necessity  than  of  virtue  in  the  matter. 


HIS  LIFE  AND  EARLY  LABOURS.  71 

The  following  incident  will  serve  to  show  how 
disinterested  was  his  zeal,  in  the  midst  of  all  these 
privations.  In  the  year  1796,  when  his  sufferings 
and  hardships  were  the  greatest,  he  received  a let- 
ter from  the  Spanish  Governor  of  St.  Genevieve, 
earnestly  pressing  him  to  leave  Kentucky,  and 
come  to  reside  in  St.  Genevieve,  where  he  was  of- 
fered an  annual  salary  of  $500,  besides  valuable 
perquisites.  The  situation  was  easy  and  inviting, 
and  the  offer  was  tempting.  M.  Badin,  in  fact, 
viewed  the  whole  matter  in  the  light  of  an  evil 
temptation  to  abandon  the  field  of  labour  which 
Divine  Providence  had  assigned  him  ; and  he  ac- 
cordingly threw  the  Governor’s  letter  into  the  fire, 
and  did  not  even  return  any  answer.  His  motto 
was : follow  Providence. 

This  chapter  would  swell  to  an  unwarrantable 
length,  should  we  attempt  to  describe  all  the  dan- 
gers through  which  M.  Badin  passed,  or  to  relate 
a tenth  part  of  the  strange  adventures  with  which 
he  met.  The  subject  will  probably  come  up  again 
in  the  sequel.  We  will  here  state,  that  he  was 
often  called  to  a distance  of  fifty,  and  even  eighty 
miles,  to  visit  the  sick,#  on  which  occasions  he 
had  often  to  strain  every  nerve,  and  to  ride  day 
and  night,  in  order  to  be  able  to  meet  his  other 
pressing  engagements.  He  made  it  an  invariable 
rule  never  to  miss  an  appointment,  no  matter  what 
obstacles  interposed. 

He  often  missed  his  way,  and  was  compelled  to 
pass  the  night  in  the  woods,  where  he  kindled  a 
fire,  by  the  light  of  which  he  said  his  office.  On 
one  of  these  occasions,  a heavy  rain  set  in  and  con- 
tinued during  the  whole  night : the  leaves  were 

* After  one  of  these  long  rides,  he  found  the  sick  man  sitting 
on  a stool,  eating  hard  boiled  eggs,  to  cure  the  pleurisy. 


72  REV.  M.  BAD1N,  &C. 

so  wet,  that  his  companion  had  to  climb  Some 
neighbouring  trees,  in  order  to  collect  dry  fuel  for 
lighting  the  fire,  an  operation  which  consumed 
three  hours.  Yet  they  passed  the  night  merrily, 
singing  and  praying  alternately ; and  at  break  of 
day  had  the  satisfaction  to  find  that  they  were  but 
five  feet  from  the  road. 

Once,  he  lost  his  hat  in  the  night,  and  being  un- 
able to  find  it  in  the  darkness,  was  compelled  to 
ride  many  miles  bareheaded,  to  the  distant  station 
which  he  was  on  his  way  to  visit.  On  another  oc- 
casion, while  about  to  cross  Salt  river,  near  the 
mouth  of  Ashe’s  creek,  his  horse  missed  his  foot- 
ing in  the  darkness,  and  rolled  down  the  elevated 
cliffs  with  his  rider.  M.  Badin  found  himself  in 
a deep  fish-pot,  with  one  foot  in  the  stirrup  and  the 
other  immersed  in  the  water.  The  horse,  usually 
spirited  and  restive,  stood  perfectly  quiet,  and  the 
rider  was  unhurt.  He  had  the  Blessed  Sacrament 
with  him,  and  he  returned  thanks  to  God  for  his 
preservation  from  a danger  so  imminent. 

In  short,  he  passed  through  almost  as  many  hard- 
ships and  dangers  as  St.  Paul  so  graphically  de- 
scribes in  his  Second  Epistle  to  the  Corinthians. # 
Yet  he  was  not  discouraged,  nor  was  his  health 
impaired.  His  strength  seemed  even  to  increase 
with  the  hardships  he  had  to  endure.  And  he 
was  consoled  by  the  abundant  fruits  with  which 
God  AVas  pleased  to  bless  his  ministry.  Of  these 
we  purpose  to  treat  more  at  length  in  a subsequent 
chapter. 

* Chap.  xi.  26  seqq.  “In  journeys  often,  in  perils  of  rivers, 
in  perils  of  robbers,  in  perils  from  my  own  nation,  in  perils 
from  the  Gentiles,  in  perils  in  the  city,  in  perils  ill  the  wilder- 
ness, ....  in  labour  and  painfulness,  in  watchings  often,  in 
hunger  and  thirst,  in  many  fastings,  in  cold  and  nakedness,”  &c. 


CHAPTER  \ . 


Arrival  of  other  Missionaries — From  1797  to  1803. 


Rev.  M.  Fournier — Traits  and  facts  of  his  early  life — His  ar 
rival  in  Kentucky — His  stations  and  labours— His  character — 
his  sudden  death — Rev.  M.  Salmon — His  zeal  and  labours — 
Humorous  incident — His  tragical  death — His  Epitaph— Rev.  Mr. 
Thayer— Anecdote  of  Franklin — Mr.  Thayer’s  conversion— His 
labours  in  Boston — In  Kentucky — And  in  Limerick — His  death. 

For  about  three  years  M.  Badin  had  been  alone, 
desolate  in  heart,  and  weighed  down  with  labours. 
At  length,  Divine  Providence  took  compassion  on 
his  loneliness,  and  sent  other  labourers  into  a har- 
vest now  become  much  too  extensive  to  be  culti- 
vated by  one  man.  The  new  missionary  recruits 
were  from  among  those  illustrious  clerical  exiles 
from  France,  to  whose  apostolic  zeal  America  is  so 
greatly  indebted,  and  without  whose  generous  aid 
our  infant  missions  could  scarcely  have  been  sus- 
tained. 

The  first  of  these  who  arrived  in  Kentucky, 
was  the  Rev.  M.  Fournier,  in  the  year  1797.  He 
was  a native  of  the  Diocess  of  Blois  in  France ; 
and,  when  driven  from  his  native  country,  by  the 
French  Revolution,  he  took  refuge  in  England. 
In  London  he  taught  the  French  language  for 
about  four  years,  in  order  to  obtain  a subsistence. 
Weary  of  this  manner  of  life,  and  panting  for  a 
field  of  action  more  congenial  to  his  zeal  for  the 
salvation  of  souls,  he  sailed  for  America,  which  he 

G 


74 


ARRIVAL  OF 


reached  towards  the  close  of  the  year  1796.  He 
immediately  offered  his  services  to  Bishop  Car- 
roll,  who  gratefully  accepted  them,  and  immedi- 
ately sent  him  to  Kentucky  to  the  assistance  of 
M.  Badin,  of  whose  melancholy  condition  he  had 
been  already  well  apprised. 

M.  Fournier,  after  a long  and  painful  journey, 
in  the  dead  of  winter,  reached  Kentucky  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1797.  M.  Badin  received  him  with  open 
arms,  and  extended  to  him  for  several  months  the 
hospitality  of  his  own  log  cabin  of  St.  Stephen’s. 
M.  Fournier  soon  purchased  one  hundred  acres  of 
ground,  on  the  Rolling  Fork — the  site  of  the  pre- 
sent Holy  Mary’s — and,  after  having  erected  a 
temporary  hut,  removed  thither  in  1798.  He  then 
took  charge  of  a portion  of  M.  Badin’s  stations. 
He  attended  the  congregations  situated  on  the  Roll- 
ing Fork,  on  Hardin’s  Creek,  on  Cartwright’s 
Creek,  on  Rough  Creek  in  Hardin  county,  with 
those  at  Danville,  and  in  Madison  county.  When 
we  reflect  that  a distance  of  at  least  one  hundred 
and  twenty  miles  intervened  between  the  two  ex- 
treme points  of  this  circuit,  we  will  probably  come 
to  the  conclusion,  that,  like  his  fellow-labourer  in 
the  same  field,  he  was  certainly  in  no  lack  of  em- 
ployment. 

He  was  an  excellent  priest ; pious,  zealous,  la- 
borious, and  punctual  to  all  his  appointments. 
He  was  of  the  ordinary  size,  and  had  a thin  vis- 
age, furrowed  with  care,  but  still  beaming  with 
habitual  cheerfulness.  His  manners  were  ex- 
tremely popular;  he  soon  caught  the  spirit,  and 
adapted  himself  to  the  manners  of  the  country ; 
and  he  had  not  one  personal  enemy.  He  spoke 
English  remarkably  well,  and  preached  sermons 
which  had  the  triple  merit  of  being  solid,  short, 
and  intelligible  to  the  meanest  capacity. 


OTHER  MISSIONARIES. 


75 


When  not  engaged  in  his  missions,  he  was  al- 
most constantly  labouring  on  the  little  farm  adjoin- 
ing his  residence.  His  death  was  caused  by  the 
rupture  of  a blood-vessel  through  over  exertion  in 
raising  large  beams  of  wood,  to  be  sawed  into 
plank.  It  was  so  sudden,  that  his  friend,  M.  Ba- 
din,  arrived  only  in  time  to  assist  at  his  funeral. 
His  body  was  interred  at  the  church  of  Holy  Cross. 
He  had  not  yet  reached  his  fiftieth  year. 

Another  French  priest,  M.  Salmon,  reached 
Kentucky  in  February,  1799.  He  was  from  the 
same  Diocess  of  Blois,  and  was  an  old  and  long 
tried  friend  of  M.  Fournier,  with  whom  he  had 
been  a fellow  student  in  the  Diocesan  Seminary  of 
Blois, # as  well  as  his  associate  in  exile  from  his 
country.  The  two  friends  had  met  and  passed 
some  years  together  in  London.  After  the  arrival 
of  M.  Fournier  in  Kentucky,  he  wrote  to  his 
friend  in  London,  who  followed  him  as  soon  as  he 
could  make  the  necessary  arrangements.  He  was 
about  forty-two  years  of  age,  was  of  a delicate 
frame,  and,  like  M..  Fournier,  was  well  versed  in 
the  English  language. 

M.  Badin,  who  was  Vicar  General,  assigned  him 
the  stations  at  Hardin’s  Creek,  Poplar  Neck,  Mr. 
Gardiner’s,  and  Bardstown.  He  was  zealous  and 
indefatigable  in  the  discharge  of  all  his  missionary 
duties.  Especially  did  he  labour  without  inter- 
mission for  the  instruction  of  children  and  ser- 
vants in  their  catechism.  In  whatever  Catholic 
house  he  visited,  he  made  it  an  invariable  rule  to 
examine  the  children  on  their  knowledge  of  their 
Christian  duties.  And,  as  we  shall  soon  see,  his 
premature  death  was  the  consequence  of  his  burn- 
ing zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls. 

* Conducted  by  the  Lazarists. 

G 2 


76 


ARRIVAL  OP 


The  following  humorous  incident  is,  perhaps, 
not  worth  recording,  though  it  may  serve  to  illus- 
trate his  zeal  for  the  instruction  of  poor  servants. 
When  he  was  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Thomas  Gwynn, 
near  Bardstown,  he  undertook  as  usual  to  instruct 
the  servants  in  their  religion.  He  had  them  all 
assembled,  and  was  struck  by  the  readiness  of 
their  answers.  His  gravity  was,  however,  not  a 
little  disturbed,  when,  on  his  asking  a servant  girl 
of  sixteen — “which  is  the  last  sacrament  you 
would  wish  to  receive  were  you  on  the  point  of 
death?”  she  answered  immediately — thinking  of 
the  last  one  on  the  list — “Matrimony.” 

His  zeal  was  rewarded  with  abundant  fruits ; 
though  it  pleased  God,  in  the  unsearchable  ways 
of  His  Providence,  speedily  to  put  an  end  to  his 
labours  and  suiferings  on  this  mission.  He  had 
been  in  Kentucky  but  nine  months,  when  his  ca- 
reer was  suddenly  cut  short  by  death.  He  was 
the  first  priest  who  died  on  this  laborious  mis- 
sion— and  he  fell  a martyr  to  his  zeal. 

In  the  discharge  of  his  duties,  he  had  caught  a 
violent  cold,  which  confined  him  to  his  bed  for 
six  weeks,  in  the  house  of  M.  Badin.  When  con- 
valescent, he  determined  to  visit  the  station  at  Mr. 
Gwynn’s,  where  he  had  an  appointment  to  meet  a 
Protestant  lady  whom  he  was  instructing  and  pre- 
paring for  Baptism.#  He  was  a bad  horseman, 
and  was  still  very  feeble  from  his  previous  sick- 
ness. It  was  the  9th  day  of  November,  1799  ; 
and  the  snow  covered  the  ground,  concealing  a 
road  which  was  rugged  and  difficult.  M.  Badin 
endeavoured  to  dissuade  him  from  undertaking 
the  journey,  in  his  debilitated  condition ; but  he 

* This  lady  afterwards  became  an  exemplary  member  of  the 
Catholic  church. 


OTHER  MISSIONARIES,  77 

was  firm  in  his  resolution,  and  departed  at  an  early 
hour  in  the  morning. 

About  a mile  from  Bardstown,  on  the  road  to 
Mr.  G wynn’s,  he  was  thrown  violently  from  his 
horse,  and  was  dashed  against  a tree.  He  was 
stunned  and  mortally  wounded,  in  the  breast  and 
head.  In  his  struggles,  he  succeeded  in  dragging 
himself  to  a tree,  against  which  he  leaned  his  head 
and  shoulders,  and  thus  sat  upright,  near  the  road 
side.  From  12  o’clock  until  night,  he  remained 
in  this  dreadful  situation,  surrounded  by  the  snow, 
benumbed  with  the  cold,  and  in  the  very  agonies 
of  death.  A lad,  who  was  cutting  wood  in  the 
neighbouring  forest,  soon  discovered  him  in  this 
condition,  and  requested  permission  from  his  em- 
ployer, to  repair  to  his  assistance.  But  the  over- 
seer#  brutally  replied,  that  it  was  “only  [a — priest, 
who  was  probably  drunk!”  Near  sunset,  this 
man  saw  Mr.  Gwynn  passing,  and  shouted  out  to 
him,  that  “his  priest  was  lying  in  a certain  spot, 
perhaps  dying.” 

The  Good  Mr.  Gwynn,  deeply  affected,  flew  to 
the  spot,  where  he  discovered  that  his  worst  anti- 
cipations were  more  than  realized.  M.  Salmon 
seemed  on  the  very  point  of  death.  He  was  im- 
mediately placed  on  horseback,  and  conveyed,  with 
as  much  tenderness  as  possible,  to  the  residence 
of  Mr.  Gwynn,  about  a mile  distant.  Messengers 
were  speedily  despatched  for  physicians,  and  for 
the  Rev.  M.  Badin.  The  latter  arrived  at  2 o’clock 
the  same  night,  having  rode  about  sixteen  miles 
in  little  more  than  two  hours.  He  found  M.  Sal- 

* For  the  honor  of  human  nature,  we  must  observe  that  this 
was  a man  of  no  standing  in  the  country  ; and  that  his  brutality 
is  almost  single  in  the  early  history  of  Kentucky.  The  lad  of 
whom  mention  is  made  above,  is  now  one  of  our  most  respect- 
able citizens. 


G 3 


78 


ARRIVAL  OF 


mon  insensible,  reciting  occasionally  prayers  in 
Latin,  and  acting  as  though  he  fancied  himself  at 
the  holy  altar.  M.  Badin  administered  to  him  the 
last  sacraments,  and  remained  with  him  till  his 
death,  which  took  place  on  the  following  night, 
the  10th  of  November.  His  remains  were  convey- 
ed to  the  church  of  Holy  Cross,  where  they  were 
interred  with  all  the  ceremonies  of  the  Roman 
Ritual. 

M.  Badin  wept  bitterly  over  the  death  of  a friend 
and  fellow-labourer,  to  whom  he  was  so  sincerely 
attached.  He  composed  for  him  an  Epitaph  in 
Latin  verse,  of  which  the  following  is  a trans- 
lation: 

“Heie  lies  Anthony  Salmon,  a French  Priest  of 
eminent  virtue,  who  preferred  exile  to  schismati- 
cal  wealth,  leaving  father,  mother,  and  country. 
Let  piety  weep,  and  religion  pour  forth  her  pray- 
ers,??  for  his  repose.# 

The  worthy  patriarch  of  the  American  Church, 
Bishop  Carroll,  seemed  to  take  a special  interest  in 
the  missions  of  Kentucky.  In  the  same  year  of 
M.  Salmon’s  death,  he  sent  out  another  zealous 
missionary  to  labour  in  this  distant  field.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Thayer  arrived  in  Kentucky  in  the  year 
1799.  He  was  the  first  native  of  America  who 
exercised  the  holy  ministry  in  our  State.  He 
had  been  a Presbyterian  or  Congregationalist  min- 
ister at  Boston ; and  had  been  reared  with  all  that 
bitter  hostility  to  the  holy  Catholic  church  so 
common  to  his  sect. 

While  yet  a Protestant  preacher,  he  determined 
to  travel  through  Europe.  He  reached  Paris, 
while  Benjamin  Franklin  was  residing  there,  in 

* 1 ‘Hie  jacet  Antonius  Salmon  virtute  verendus, 

Presbyter  e Gallis  ; prcetulit  exilium 

Schismaticis  opibus ; fratres,  matrem,arvaque  linquens: 

Det  pietas  fletus,  Religioque  pieces.” 


OTHER  MISSIONARIES. 


79 


quality  of  Minister  of  the  United  States  to  the 
French  Court.  He  visited  Franklin,  and  request- 
ed to  be  appointed  his  Chaplain.  The  philoso- 
pher-statesman made  him  the  characteristic  reply : 
that  he  could  “say  his  own  prayers,  and  save  his 
country  the  expense  of  employing  a Chaplain.” 
Thus  foiled  in  his  object,  Mr.  Thayer  proceeded 
to  Rome,  which  he  reached,  probably,  about  the 
year  1781.  He  repaired  thither  with  the  full  ex- 
pectation of  being  able  to  collect  facts  to  establish 
conclusively  the  idolatry  of  the  Catholic  church  ; 
but  he  left  the  “Eternal  City”  an  ardent  Catholic 
himself. 

The  immediate  occasion  of  his  conversion  was 
his  witnessing  the  wonderful  miracles  operated  at 
the  tomb  of  the  venerable  Labre.  These  he  ridi- 
culed, at  first;  but  a long  and  rigid  scrutiny  con- 
vinced him  that  they  were  the  work  of  God.  His 
next  inference  was  natural — that  the  religion  in 
favour  of  which  such  prodigies  had  been  operated, 
must  be  the  religion  of  Christ ; since  God  cannot 
stamp  the  broad  seal  of  his  approbation  on  false- 
hood and  error.  His  conclusions  were  strength- 
ened by  a full  examination  of  the  evidences  which 
demonstrate  the  truth  of  Catholicity.  With  a sim- 
ple and  docile  heart,  he  committed  himself  wholly 
to  the  teaching  of  God,  whose  light  and  grace  he 
fervently  invoked  in  prayer.  A new  light  broke 
upon  his  mind  ; and  his  previous  prejudices  van- 
ished like  the  mists  before  the  rising  sun.  He 
soon  beheld  himself  in  the  clear  and  unclouded 
day  of  Catholic  truth;  and  returned  humble 
thanks  to  God  for  having  thus  vouchsafed  to  trans- 
fer him  from  the  region  of  doubts  and  dark- 
ness, into  the  admirable  light  of  His  Blessed  Son! 

Ardently  did  he  pant  for  an  opportunity  to  im- 
part to  others,  reared  up  with  similar  prejudices, 


80 


ARRIVAL  OF 


the  new  light  which  had  broken  upon  his  own 
spirit.  He  determined  to  cast  all  human  conside- 
rations to  the  winds,  and  to  devote  his  whole  sub- 
sequent life  to  the  sublime  occupation  of  endea- 
vouring to  enlighten  others,  especially  his  coun- 
trymen. The  better  to  qualify  himself  for  this 
undertaking,  he  resolved  to  enter  into  the  Catho- 
lic ministry.  Accordingly,  after  the  necessary 
previous  studies,  he  was  ordained  priest  in  Paris; 
after  which  he  speedily  returned  to  the  United 
States. 

He  was  stationed  in  Boston,  the  theatre  of  his 
former  labours  as  Protestant  minister.  He  held 
weekly  conferences  on  the  truths  of  the  Catholic 
faith ; and  his  discourses,  delivered  with  much 
earnestness  and  eloquence,  attracted  great  crowds 
of  his  Protestant  fellow-citizens.  He  published 
a detailed  and  well- written  account  of  his  conver- 
sion, in  which  he  clearly  and  forcibly  stated  all  the 
motives  which  had  led  him  to  take  this  important 
step.  He  thus  endeavoured  to  convey  his  own 
convictions  to  the  minds  of  his  countrymen,  both 
from  the  pulpit  and  through  the  press.  His  zeal 
led  him  into  various  controversies  with  the  Pro- 
testant preachers  ; and  he  always  showed  himself 
able  to  give  an  account  of  the  “hope  which  was 
in  him.”  Still  he  had  the  mortification  to  find, 
that  the  Americans,  who  are  so  easily  misled  by 
novelties  of  whatever  species,  are  very  slow  to 
change  their  religious  opinions,  especially  in  favor 
of  what  is  old  and  painful  to  human  nature.  He 
found  that  conviction  and  conversion  were  two  dif- 
ferent things ; and  that,  though  he  could  flatter 
himself  with  having  brought  about  the  former 
state  of  mind  in  many,  he  was  cheered  by  but  few 
evidences  of  his  having  secured  the  latter. 


OTHER  MISSIONARIES, 


81 


Feeling,  probably,  that  ano  prophet  is  received 
in  his  own  country,”  he  left  Boston  ; and,  after 
having  visited  Canada,  offered  his  services  to  Bish- 
op Carroll,  for  whatever  mission  in  the  Union  he 
might  think  proper  to  assign  him.  As  we  have 
said,  Bishop  Carroll  sent  him  to  Kentucky.  Here 
he  remained  for  about  four  years,  during  two  of 
which  only  he  was  engaged  in  the  ministry. 

He  left  Kentucky  in  1803 ; and  subsequently 
went  to  Ireland.  He  exercised  the  holy  ministry 
for  many  years  in  Limerick,  where  he  contributed 
greatly  towards  the  revival  of  piety.  The  year  of 
his  death  we  have  not  been  able  to  ascertain  with 
precision ; but  it  certainly  occurred  some  time  be- 
fore the  year  1822.  When  M.  Badin  was  in  Paris 
during  this  year,  he  received,  from  a respectable 
Irish  gentleman  of  Limerick,  a glowing  account 
of  his  zealous  labours  and  edifying  death.  Among 
other  particulars,  the  gentleman  alluded  to  men- 
tioned the  fact,  that  Mr.  Thayer  had  induced  obout 
two  hundred  of  his  penitents  to  make  their  medi- 
tation daily.# 

* In  the  facts  detailed  in  this  chapter,  we  have  followed  the 
admirable  report  on  the  Kentucky  missions,  drawn  up  by  M. 
Badin,  in  1822,  and  published  in  the  Annales.  ( loco  sup.  cit .) 
We  have  added  several  important  facts,  derived  from  the  oral 
statements  of  the  Very  Rev.  M.  Badin,  and  from  other  aged 
persons,  who  were  well  acquainted  with  the  individuals  of  whom 
we  have  spoken. 


CHAPTER  VI. 


Early  History  of  the  Chief  Protestant  Sects  in 
Kentucky — Prom  1784  to  1820. 

Our  authorities — Father  Rice — His  opinion  of  the  first  Pro* 
testant  preachers  in  Kentucky— A “speck”  of  Religion — Wran- 
gling and  Sectarism — A frightful  picture — Causes  of  religious 
decline — Avarice  in  preachers — The  great  hurricane  of  religion 
—Origin  and  doctrines  of  the  Cumberland  Presbyterians— Fierce 
and  indomitable  spirit  of  Presbyterianism — Origin  of  the  “New- 
Lights” — Singular  manifesto — Sentence  of  deposition— A curious 
document — Origin  of  the  Campbellites — Presbyterian  dissen- 
sions— A preacher  twice  convicted  of  slander — Another  con- 
demned— Disunion  among  Baptists — The  “great  revival”  in 
Kentucky — Col.  Stone’s  description  of  it — Farther  particulars — 
Jerking , jumping,  falling  and  barking  exercises — The  Shakers 
in  Kentucky — Curious  religious  statistics — Reflections. 

Before  we  proceed  farther  in  our  rapid  sketch 
of  the  early  history  of  the  Catholic  missions  in 
Kentucky,  it  may  be  well  to  pause  a little,  in  order 
to  survey  the  cotemporary  histoiy  of  the  principal 
Protestant  sects.  These  often  came  into  collision, 
not  only  with  each  other,  but  with  the  Catholic 
church.  Differing  in  almost  all  else,  they  united 
in  the  principle  of  hatred  of  the  Catholic  religion. 
And  we  cannot  fully  understand  the  early  history 
of  the  latter,  in  our  State,  without  examining  the 
corresponding  phases  in  the  history  of  the  former. 

Our  sketch,  confined,  as  it  necessarily  must  be, 
to  one  chapter,  will  be  very  brief  and  summary, 
embracing  only  some  of  the  principal  facts  and 


PROTESTANT  SECTS  IN  KENTUCKY.  83 

features  in  the  history  of  the  most  conspicuous 
among  the  early  sects  of  Kentucky.  We  shall 
state  nothing  which  is  not  undoubted,  and  little 
that  cannot  be  satisfactorily  proved  from  respecta- 
ble Protestant  authority.  To  show  that  we  mean 
to  be  impartial,  we  will  farther  remark,  that  our 
chief  authority  will  be  a work  of  some  antiquity, 
and  of  considerable  weight  among  the  sects  them- 
selves.# 

One  of  the  first  preachers,  if  not  the  first,  who 
emigrated  to  Kentucky  was  the  Rev.  David  Rice, 
of  the  Presbyteriamchurch.  He  was  born  in  Vir- 
ginia, in  1733;  removed  to  Kentucky  in  October, 
1783;  and  died  in  1816,  being  83  years  of  age. 
The  author  of  his  Memoirs  gives  us  rather  a sin- 
gular account  of  the  motives  which  induced  him 
to  emigrate  to  our  State.f  It  seems  that  he  had  a 
large  family  to  provide  for;  and  his  removal  to 
Kentucky  was  prompted  more  by  the  desire  of  se- 
curing the  good  things  of  this  world,  than  by  that 
of  spreading  the  Gospel.  Speaking  of  his  first 
visit  to  the  country,  the  writer  above  referred  to 
says  : 

“He  accordingly  was  induced  at  a convenient 
time  to  ride  out  and  see  the  country,  not  principal- 
ly with  a view  to  preach  the  Gospel,  nor  even  xvith 
the  view  of  moving  there  soon,  if  ever;  but  mere- 
ly to  become  acquainted  with  the  Country,  and  if 
all  circumstances  were  encouraging,  to  procure 
settlements  for  some  of  his  numerous  family. 

* The  title  of  the  book  is  as  follows:  “An  outline  of  the  His- 
tory of  the  Church  in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  during  a period  of 
forty  years,  containing  the  memoirs  of  Rev.  David  Rice,  and 
sketches  of  the  origin  and  present  state  of  particular  churches, 
and  of  the  lives  and  labours  of  a number  of  men  who  were  em- 
inent and  useful  in  their  day.  Conected  and  arranged  by  Ro- 
bert H.  Bishop,  Professor  of  History  in  Transylvania.’*— Lex- 
ington— 1824,  1 vol.  12mo.  pp.  420. 

t Work  just  quoted,  chap.  viii.  p.  65  seqq. 


J Ibid.  p.  66. 


84 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


And  he  finally  consented  to  emigrate  thither, 
only  after  he  had  obtained  a substantial  call,  in 
the  shape  of  an  instrument  of  writing,  signed  by 
three  hundred  men.# 

So  much  for  married  preachers — for  Father 
Rice,  as  he  is  styled,  was  a fair  specimen  of  all  of 
them  in  this  respect.  Their  conduct  fully  verifies 
the  saying  of  St.  Paul : “He  that  is  with  a wife 
is  solicitous  for  the  things  of  the  world,  how  he 
may  please  his  wife,  and  he  is  divided. Should 
a minister  of  God  be  divided? 

Father  Rice  describes  the  religious  condition  of 
the  people,  on  his  arrival  in  Kentucky,  in  the  fol- 
lowing words : 

“ After  I had  been  here  some  weeks,  and  had 
preached  the  Gospel  at  several  places,  I found 
scarcely  one  man,  and  but  few  women  who  sup- 
ported a credible  profession  of  religion.  Some 
were  grossly  ignorant  of  the  first  principles  of  re- 
ligion. Some  were  given  to  quarrelling  and  fight- 
ing, some  to  profane  swearing,  some  to  intempe- 
rance, and  perhaps  most  of  them  totally  negligent 
of  the  forms  of  religion  in  their  own  homes. 

He  had  not  a much  better  opinion  of  his  first 
fellow-labourers  in  the  ministry  of  Kehtucky,  of 
whom  he  says : 

“They  were  men  of  some  information,  and  held 
sound  principles,  but  did  not  appear  to  possess 
much  of  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel.  Upon  this  my 
spirits  sunk  pretty  low,  verging  on  a deep  melan- 
choly.” To  which  the  writer  of  his  Memoirs 
adds  : “A  melancholy  prospect  indeed  to  a pious 
mind.  Like  priest,  like  people — genuine  piety 
scarcely  discernible  in  either — the  spirit  of  the 

* Ibid.  p.  67. 

f I.  Corinthians,  chap.  vii.  33. — Head  the  whole  chapter. 

t Work  before  referred  to — p.  68. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


85 


world  animating  all.”#  Wonder  if  Father  Rice 
himself  “possessed  much  of  the  spirit  of  the 
Gospel?” 

According  to  his  testimony,  the  early  Baptists 
and  Methodists  were  not  a whit  better  than  their 
Presbyterian  brethren.  He  says  : 

“The  Baptists  were  at  this  time  pretty  numer- 
ous, and  were  engaged  in  some  disputes  among 
themselves,  about  some  abstruse  points,  which  I 
suspected  neither  party  well  understood.  About 
the  same  time,  two  Methodist  preachers  came  to 
the  country,  who,  though  they  were  rather  pas- 
sionate in  their  addresses,  seemed  to  be  men  of 
tender  Catholic  (!)  spirit,  and  advocates  for  good 
morals.  For  some  time  their  coming  encouraged 
and  revived  me,  in  some  degree,  but  as  soon  as 
they  had  gained  a little  footing  in  the  country,  they 
began  to  preach  what  they  called  their  principles, 
that  is,  those  doctrines  which  distinguish  them 
from  other  societies.  This,  so  far  as  I could  learn, 
produced  its  genuine  effects — a party  spirit  and 
alienation  of  affections  among  the  people.  This 
sunk  me  into  my  former  melancholy.  To  me  it 
appeared  that  all  our  religious  societies,  Presbyte- 
rians, Baptists,  Methodists,  &c.  &c.,  were  in  a fair 
way  to  destroy  both  the  spirit  and  the  practice  of 
religion,  and  sink  it  into  contempt. ”f 

At  length,  Father  Rice  was  cheered  by  “a  little 
reviving  in  the  midst  of  bondage  yet  this  was 
but  a trifling  forerunner  of  another  mighty  revival 
that  was  to  come — a mere  speck  of  cloud  on  the 
horizon,  which  portended  the  coming  of  the  awful 
hurricane  of  religion  which  was  soon  to  sweep 
over  Kentucky.  Of  this  hurricane  we  will  soon 

* Ibid.  p.  69-70.  t Ibid.  p.  70. 


S6 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


speak  at  some  length  ; of  the  speck , the  author 
above  cited  speaks  as  follows : 

“On  this  commenced  a small  revival  of  religion 
in  Mr.  Rice’s  congregation,  and  in  several  other 
places  adjoining.  A number  of  professors  appear- 
ed to  be  strengthened  and  comforted — a number 
of  hypocrites  undeceived — and  a number  of  sin- 
ners were  made  to  cry  out,  what  shall  we  do  to  be 
saved?  The  awakening  and  seriousness  contin- 
ued for  several  months,  adding  a small  number  to 
the  church  on  every  sacramental  occasion,  and 
inducing  a few  to  give  themselves  up  to  God  in 
the  work  of  the  ministry.  ”# 

The  spirit  of  wrangling  and  sectarism  has  ever 
been  the  plague-spot  of  Protestantism  : never  did 
this  spirit  manifest  itself  more  fully  than  during 
the  period  of  which  we  are  speaking.  We  have 
already  seen  some  instances  of  its  early  develope- 
ment : we  will  here  add  a few  more,  to  show  that 
time,  instead  of  remedying,  rather  served  to  aggra- 
vate the  evil.  After  he  had  been  many  years  in 
the  country,  Father  Rice  addressed  “two  epistles  to 
the  citizens  of  Kentucky,”  besides  a tract  against 
slavery*  From  the  second  of  these  epistles  we 
present  the  following  extracts,  bearing  on  the 
subject : 

“In  the  midst  of  all  this  error  and  confusion” — • 
he  had  been  speaking  of  the  evils  of  sectarism — 
“many  of  our  professors  are  mere  lifeless, orthodox 
formalists,  who  are  more  inclined  to  expose  error 
with  violence,  than  to  humble  themselves  and 
pray  for  a reformation.  They  boast  of  the  sound- 
ness of  their  principles,  and  their  strong  attach- 
ment to  them,  but  at  the  same  time  in  practice  de- 
ny the  power  of  godliness,”  &c.f 

♦ Ibid.  p.  76-7.  t Ibid.  p.  348. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


87 


And  again  : “A  melancholy  consequence  of  all 
this  is,  that  many  are  filled  and  almost  overwhelm- 
ed with  perplexing  skeptical  doubts. 

“Some  are  doubting  of  their  own  religion;  not 
because  it  appears  to  them  unscriptural,  but  be- 
cause they  see  many,  whom  they  esteemed  better 
Christians  than  themselves,  either  turned  back  to 
a course  of  vice,  or  carried  away  with  gross  errors. 
Others  doubt  of  the  reality  of  the  religion  of  al- 
most all  others,  and  think  it  nothing  but  a delu- 
sion and  disorder  of  the  passions.  Others  con- 
clude, or  at  least  have  some  apprehension,  that 
there  is  nothing  in  experimental  religion  at  all ; 
that  it  is  all  a mere  delusion,  arising  from  the 
temperament  of  the  body,  or  excited  by  passion- 
ate addresses,  animal  exertion,  or  the  like.  Others 
imagine  that  because  ministers  are  disputing  about 
the  doctrines  of  religion,  there  is  no  truth  in  any 
of  them ; but  that  all  are  doubtful  at  least.  Too 
many  conclude  that  there  is  no  reality  in  religion 
at  all ; but  that  it  is  all  priest-craft,  or  king’s-craft : 
that  the  only  way  is  to  make  the  most  of  this  mis- 
erable world,  having  nothing  better  to  expect. 
The  youth,  the  poor  unhappy  youth,  find  them- 
selves free  from  the  restraints  of  religion,  and  re- 
joice in  their  liberty;  are  skeptical  in  their  opin- 
ions, and  hasting  to  a confirmed  and  inveterate 
infidelity ; they  neglect  religious  worship,  or  at- 
tend it  without  reverence  or  any  serious  thoughts 
of  improvement.’^ 

This  is  truly  a fearful  picture,  as  startling  as  it 
is  graphic.  Could  Father  Rice  now  arise  from 
his  grave,  he  might  draw  a similar  portrait  of  our 
own  times  ; or  rather,  he  would  find  that  not  one 
light  or  shade  of  his  original  picture  would  now 


♦ Ibid.  p.  349-350. 


88 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


need  retouching.  Such,  then,  are  thy  acknow  - 
ledged  fruits,  oh  Protestantism!  Such  are  the 
dreadful  evils  which  thou  hast  left  as  an  heir-loom 
to  mankind ! 

The  author  of  the  book  from  which  we  are 
quoting,  timidly  “ventures  to  suggest  some  of  the 
reasons  why  the  Gospel,  faithfully  and  affection- 
ately preached,  has  not  produced  the  effect  de- 
sired.These  reasons,  he  says,  are  chiefly : a 
too  great  worldly  spirit,  the  want  of  piety,  and  the 
want  of  mutual  love. 

“There  is  too  much  of  the  policy  of  the  world 
in  every  one  of  the  churches — too  much  depend- 
ence on  those  who  are  avowedly  men  of  the  world; 
and  too  little  dependence  upon  our  common  Mas- 
ter, and  the  energies  of  his  Spirit.  There  is  not  a 
want  of  personal  piety  among  us,  but  there  is  a 

great  want  of  family  piety Lastly  and 

chiefly — there  is  a great  want  of  the  love  of  the 
brethren  among  us.  We  have  not  Christian  confi- 
dence in  one  another.”! 

To  these  causes  for  the  decline  of  religion,  we 
should  add  another,  which  has,  perhaps,  done  more 
extensive  mischief  to  the  Protestant  sects,  than  any 
thing  else : avarice  among  the  preachers.  This  is 
freely  admitted  by  the  candid  historian  of  the  sects 
in  Kentucky.  Near  the  close  of  his  summary  sketch 
of  the  Baptist  churches,  which,  he  says,  had  been 
torn  by  “a  great  deal  of  unhallowed  controversy,” 
he  adds  the  following  general  remarks  : 

“By  looking  back  to  the  reflections  of  Father 
Rice,  we  will  find  him  lamenting  over  the  money 
making  and  speculating  spirit  among  the  Presby- 
terians. The  facts  which  have  been  brought  be- 
fore us  in  the  history  of  the  Baptists  render  it  ex- 

* Ibid.  p.  157.  t Ibib.  p.  158. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


89 


tremely  probable  that  genuine  religion  has  suffer- 
ed much  among  them  from  a similar  spirit.  A pri- 
vate difference  between  a preacher  and  a leading 
member  of  his  church,  about  the  exchange  of  two 
slaves,  convulsed  the  whole  Elkhorn  Association, 
and  ended  in  a permanent  separation  of  brethren 
who  had  before  walked  together  in  unity.  The 
first  pastor  of  the  church  at  Washington,  one  of 
the  first  and  one  of  the  largest  churches  in  the 
State,  lost  his  character  and  property  by  land  spec- 
ulation. And  farther,  Benedict  makes  the  re- 
mark : “the  churches  do  but  little  for  their  preach- 
ers— yery  few  receive  to  the  amount  of  a hundred 
dollars  a year  for  their  services ; but  few  of  them, 
however,  are  very  poor.  They  have  from  necessi- 
ty found  the  means  of  supporting  themselves. 
Many  of  those  who  settled  early  in  the  country 
have  become  wealthy.”! 

Certainly  the  preachers  were  never  known  to 
neglect  their  own  interest  for  the  salvation  of 
souls.  They  are  often  remarked  as  the  keenest 
traders  of  the  country.  And  many  of  the  unfor- 
tunate personal  and  doctrinal  controversies  which 
tore  the  bosom  of  most  Protestant  sects  in  the 
early  period  of  their  history  in  Kentucky,  are  fairly 
traceable  to  rival  claims  of  preachers  for  good  situ- 
ations— or  good  calls , as  they  are  styled — and  to 
bitter  animosity  growing  out  of  that  rivalry.  Some- 
times, however,  they  were  caused  by  fanaticism. 
According  to  our  author,  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
terians originated  in  this  latter  way.  As  the  origin 
of  this  sect  is  both  curious  in  itself,  and  fairly 
connected  with  our  subject;  and  as  it  is  moreover 
intimately  associated  with  one  of  the  most  aston- 

* In  his  “History  of  the  Baptists,”  2vols.  8vo.  1813. 

f Ibid.  p.  301. 


90 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


ishing  displays  of  fanaticism  furnished  by  the  an- 
nals of  mankind,  we  may  be  pardoned  for  dwelling 
at  some  length  on  this  branch  of  the  subject.  We 
will,  however,  do  little  more  than  abridge  the 
statement  of  the  Protestant  church  historian  of 
Kentucky,  already  often  quoted.  He  says  : 

“The  years  1800  and  1801  were  distinguished 
by  an  uncommon  religious  excitement  among  the 
Presbyterians  of  Kentucky.  This  excitement  be- 
gan in  Logan  county,  and  soon  extended  all  over 
the  State,  and  into  the  neighbouring  States  and 
territories . Besides  increased  attention  to  the  usu- 
al and  ordinary  seasons  and  modes  of  worship, 
there  were  during  the  summer  of  these  years,  large 
camp-meetings  held,  and  four  or  five  days  and 
nights  at  a time  were  spent  in  almost  incessant  re- 
ligious exercises.  At  these  meetings  hundreds, 
and  in  some  cases,  thousands  of  people  might 
have  been  seen  and  heard  at  one  and  the  same 
time , engaged  in  singing,  and  prayer,  and  exhorta- 
tion, and  preaching,  and  leaping,  and  shouting, 
and  disputing,  and  conversing.  It  was  in  meet- 
ings and  in  exercises  of  this  kind,  that  the  Cum- 
berland Presbyterians  had  their  origin. 

“Previous  to  the  first  meeting  of  the  Kentucky 
Synod,  (Presbyterian)  which  was  in  October,  1802, 
all  the  ministers  and  churches  south  of  the  Ken- 
tucky river  were  under  the  inspection  of  one 
Presbytery,  and  it  was  within  the  bounds  of  this 
Presbytery,  and  particularly  in  the  settlements  on 
the  waters  of  Green  river  and  Cumberland,  that 
the  religious  excitement  was  greatest.  It  was 
supposed  by  many  good  men,  that  the  Holy  Ghost 
was  poured  out  upon  the  churches  in  a degree 
nearly  equal  to  what  was  seen  and  felt  on  the  day 
of  Pentecost, (!)  and  consequently,  that  ministerial 
gifts  and  ministerial  graces  were  bestowed  in 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


91 


greater  abundance,  and  to  a greater  extent,  than 
any  of  that  generation  had  ever  witnessed.  Hence 
at  the  fall  meeting  of  Presbytery,  in  1801,  it  was 
proposed  that  the  ordinary  rules  of  the  Presbyteri- 
an church  respecting  literary  qualifications,  and 
the  length  of  time  to  be  spent  in  the  regular  study 
of  divinity,  by  all  candidates  for  the  holy  minis- 
try, should  be  dispensed  with,  and  that  four  men, 
who  were  produced,  should  be  taken  immediately 
under  trials  for  license;  and  a majority  of  mem- 
bers of  Presbytery  being  in  favour  of  the  measure, 
it  was  adopted,  though  strenuously  opposed  by  a 
respectable  minority. 

Shortly  afterwards  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of 
Kentucky  divided  this  district  into  two  Presbyte- 
ries, one  of  which — the  Cumberland  Presbytery, 
newly  erected — was  composed  chiefly  of  those 
who  were  in  favor  of  the  new  discipline  in  regard 
to  ministers.  This  Presbytery  licensed  minis- 
ters by  wholesale,  and  soon  filled  the  south  of 
Kentucky  with  preachers,  as  remarkable  for  their 
confident  enthusiasm,  as  they  were  for  their  igno- 
rance. These  men  were  possessed  of  a rude  spe- 
cies of  eloquence,  which  gained  favour  with  the 
common  people.  The  number  of  these  irregularly 
appointed  preachers  soon  swelled  to  thirty ; and 
they  were  increasing  so  rapidly  as  to  bid  fair,  in  a 
very  short  time,  to  outnumber  the  regularly  ap- 
pointed ministers  of  the  Kentucky  Synod.f 

This  body  took  the  alarm ; and,  in  the  meeting 
held  in  October,  1805,  a committee  composed 
of  ten  among  the  leading  ministers,  and  six  ruling 
elders,  was  appointed  to  confer  with  the  members 
of  the  Cumberland  Presbytery  on  the  subject. 
They  were  vested  with  “full  synodical  powers,” 

♦Ibid.  p.  117—118.  f Ibid.  p.  118—119. 

H 


92  THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 

and  the  conference  was  to  be  held  at  Jasper  meet- 
ing house,  in  Logan  county.  They  appeared  at 
the  appointed  place  on  the  3rd  of  December,  1805; 
when  they  commenced  their  inquiry.  But  the 
advocates  of  the  new  system  of  extraordinary 
heavenly  lights  were  not  disposed  to  abide  by  the 
judgment  of  this  ecclesiastical  body. 

“The  Committee  was  stigmatized  with  the  un- 
hallowed name  of  an  ‘Inquisition,’  sent  down  by 
the  Synod  to  destroy  the  revival  of  religion,  and 
to  cut  off  all  the  young  preachers,  because  they 
had  not  learned  Latin  and  Greek. 

“The  most  of  the  members  of  the  commission 
were  nick-named , and  given  some  appellation, 
either  to  affix  stigma  or  confer  an  encomium,  as 
the  fruitful  and  ingenious  inventors  thought  the 
individuals  were  favourable  or  unfavourable  to 
their  cause.  Under  such  very  unpleasant  and  for- 
bidding circumstances  did  the  commission  meet 
and  transact  their  business — only  one  man  in  the 
settlement,  living  some  three  or  four  miles  from 
the  meeting-house,  opened  his  door  and  his  heart 
for  the  reception  and  accommodation  of  the  com- 
mission.”*)* 

The  whole  affair  terminated,  as  might  have  been 
anticipated,  in  an  open  schism  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  in  Kentucky.  Both  parties  adhered  tena- 
ciously to  their  respective  opinions,  and  no  accom- 
modation could  be  effected.  The  champions  of 
the  Spirit  were  not  likely  to  be  convinced  by  the 
reasoning  of  their  less  favoured  brethren.  We 
have  room  merely  to  give  one  passage  in  the  long 
and  bitter  controversy  which  ensued ; and  we 
give  it  as  an  illustration  of  the  Protestant  rule  of 
faith,  in  its  theory  and  practice,  which,  in  the  in- 


♦Ibid.  p.  121. 


t Ibid. 


IN  KENTUCKY.  93 

stance  we  are  going  to  allege,  were  strangely  at 
variance. 

“The  Commission  then  requested,  in  a friendly 
manner,  the  majority  of  the  Cumberland  Presby- 
tery, ‘to  give  the  reasons  why,  in  licensing  and 
ordaining  persons  to  preach  the  Gospel,  they  re- 
quired them  to  adopt  the  Confession  of  Faith  so 
far  only,  as  they  in  reason  think  it  corresponds  with 
the  Scriptures?’  The  answer  was,  ‘that  the  Con- 
fession of  Faith  was  human  composition,  and  fal- 
lible, and  that  they  could  not  in  conscience  feel 
themselves  bound  any  farther  than  they  believe  it 
corresponds  with  Scripture.’ 

The  answer,  it  must  be  confessed,  was  a poser, 
based,  as  it  clearly  was,  upon  the  Protestant  rule 
of  faith — private  judgment,  or  the  Bible  as  ex- 
pounded by  each  individual  for  himself.  The 
Committee,  instead  of  solving  the  difficulty,  pro- 
ceeded to  suspend  all  the  newly  appointed  preach- 
ers, and  to  cite  the  majority  of  the  Cumberland 
Presbytery  before  the  Presbyterian  Synod  of  Ken- 
tucky. This  body,  as  well  as  the  General  Assem- 
bly of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  the  United 
States,  fully  sanctioned  the  high-handed  proceed- 
ings of  the  Committee : and  thus  was  the  schism 
consummated.-!* 

The  excluded  ministers  were  not  much  troubled 
at  the  decision:  they  set  up  for  themselves,  and 
soon  overspread  the  southern  portion  of  Kentucky, 
the  State  of  Tennessee,  and  part  of  Alabama.  In 
1823,  they  had  nine  Presbyteries,  of  which  only 
two  were  in  Kentucky.^  They  differ  from  the 
Presbyterian  church,  not  only  in  church  disci- 
pline, but  also  in  some  doctrinal  points,  especially 
those  connected  with  grace  and  predestination. 

'*  Ibid.  p.  122.  t Ibid.  p.  124,  seqq.  J Ibid.  p.  126. 

H 2 


94 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


On  these  points,  they  seem  to  approach  the  doc- 
trines of  the  New  School : they  maintain  that  “God 
provides  salvation  for  all  mankind/5  and  that  He 
wills  and  decrees  neither  sin  nor  the  damnation  of 
any  one.#  On  the  original  ground  of  quarrel,  they 
seem  to  have  relented  somewhat ; and  they  now 
encourage  literary  qualifications  in  their  preach- 
ers.f  Such  was  the  origin,  and  such  the  prin- 
cipal features  in  the  early  history  of  the  Cumber- 
land Presbyterians. 

The  “general  outpouring  of  the  Spirit55  in  1800, 
and  in  the  summers  of  the  two  following  years, 
not  only  originated  the  Cumberland  Presbyterians, 
as  we  have  just  seen,  but  it  also  gave  rise  to  other 
dissensions  and  sects.  The  Spirit  of  God  is  a Spirit 
“of  peace  and  not  of  dissension;55  but  the  spirit  of 
which  we  are  speaking  had  different  characters  al- 
together: it  was  as  prolific  of  new  sects,  as  it  was 
superabundant  in  its  communications ! Our  Bless- 
ed Saviour  has  said:  “by  their  fruits  ye  shall  know 
them55 — a golden  rule,  by  which  error  is  immedi- 
ately distinguished  from  truth.  The  former  is 
manifold,  inconsistent,  and  contradictory;  the  lat- 
ter is  one,  uniform,  and  unchangeable. 

Every  where,  and  at  every  period  of  its  history, 
the  Presbyterian  church  has  been  marked  by  a 
spirit  of  dissension,  not  only  in  regard  to  other  de- 
nominations, but  also  within  its  own  bosom.  The 
fierce  and  relentless  spirit  of  John  Calvin  still 
lives  in  his  disciples.  Even  the  close  ties  of  sym- 
pathy, rendered  stronger  by  common  necessities 
and  dangers,  in  the  newly  settled  wilderness  of 
Kentucky,  could  not  extinguish  this  combative 
spirit  of  Presbyterianism.  Its  hoarse  notes  of  dis- 

* See  extracts  from  their  “ Confession  of  Faith”,  Ibid,  p,  127. 

t Ibid,  p,  128, 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


95 


cord  were  mingled  with  the  roaring  of  the  wild 
beasts,  and  the  ferocious  war-whoop  of  the 
Indians ! 

The  Cumberland  Presbyterians  were  one,  and 
the  “New-Lights”  another  olf-shoot  of  early  Pres- 
byterianism in  Kentucky.  Of  the  manner  in 
which  the  latter  sect  had  its  origin,  the  author  to 
whose  authority  we  have  already  often  appealed, 
speaks  as  follows : 

aThe  people  of  whom  we  propose  to  give  a 
short  sketch  in  the  following  article,  had  their  ori- 
gin at  the  second  meeting  of  the  Synod  of  Ken- 
tucky, which  was  in  September,  1803.  They 
have  been  known  in  the  language  of  the  day 
under  various  names.  They  have  assumed  to 
themselves  the  exclusive  name  of  “the  Christian 
Church.”  They  have  usually  been  called  “New- 
Lights,  or  Stoneites,”  &c.  &c. ; and  if  they  are 
known  at  all  in  the  future  history  of  the  church, 
they  will  be  denominated  Pelagian  or  Socinian 
heretics.”(!)# 

At  the  above  named  Synod,  two  leading  preach- 
ers, of  whom  the  principal  was  Barton  W.  Stone, 
“were  accused  of  disseminating  doctrines  contrary 
to  the  publicly  received  doctrines  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  ”f  The  accused  protested  against 
the  proceedings  of  the  Synod,  and  proved  hope- 
lessly refractory.  They  determined  not  to  have 
their  Christian  liberty  (!)  abridged,  and  to  set  up 
for  themselves.  Accordingly,  in  June,  1804,  they 
issued  the  following  singular  circular : 

“We  hereby  inform  you,  that  we  have  made  an 
appointment  for  a general  meeting  of  Christians 
at  Bethel,  seven  miles  below  Lexington,  on  Thurs- 
day before  the  second  Sabbath  of  October  next. 

♦Ibid.  p.  130. 


f Ibid, 


96 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


The  design  of  the  meeting  is,  to  celebrate  the  feast 
of  love , and  unite  in  prayer  to  God  for  the  outpour - 
mg  of  his  Spirit . The  place  of  meeting  was 
chosen  as  a centre  for  the  States  of  Ohio,  Ken- 
tucky, and  Tennessee,  that  all  who  are  engaged  in 
the  common  cause  of  our  Lord  and  Saviour  Jesus 
Christ,  may  unite,  and  swell  the  solemn  cry : Thy 
Kingdom  come!  Even  so , come  Lord  Jesus! 
Brethren,  the  grace  of  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ  be 
with  you  all.  Amen. 

“P.  S.  We  will  meet  prepared  to  encamp  on  the 
ground,  and  continue  for  several  days.”# 

The  call  was  responded  to  by  “a  meeting  suffi- 
ciently numerous  to  alarm  the  heart  of  the  Eccle- 
siastic.All  attempts  at  reconciliation  proved 
abortive;  and  in  the  year  1808,  the  Synod  passed 
the  following  singular  decree  against  the  authors 
of  the  new  sect : 

“Resolved,  That  the  above  mentioned  R 

M Barton  W.  Stone,  &c.  &c.  &c.,  be  DE- 

POSED, in  the  name  of  Christ;  and  by  the  au- 
thority committed  to  us,  they  are  hereby  DE- 
POSED from  all  the  functions  of  the  Gospel 
ministry,  and  cut  off  from  our  communion.’’^ 

But  the  leaders  had  anticipated  this  blow,  and 
had  already  prepared  themselves  for  it.  In  the 
fall  of  1803  they  had  separated  from  the  Synod, 
and  had  organized  themselves  into  a new  Presby- 
tery, which,  singularly  enough,  was  dissolved,  by 
their  own  free  consent,  in  the  following  June,  at  a 
meeting  held  in  Springfield.  They  were  opposed 
to  the  doctrines  of  the  Decrees  and  of  Predestina- 
tion, as  well  as  to  all  creeds  and  confessions  of 
faith. 1 1 Their  opposition  to  all  church  authority, 
was  one  of  the  main  reasons  which  prompted  the 

* Ibid.  p.  131-2.  f Ibid.  j Ibid.  p.  133.  ||  Ibid.  p.  134. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


97 


sudden  dissolution  of  their  Presbytery.  On  the 
occasion  they  published  a document  under  the 
solemn  title  : “the  last  will  and  testament  of  the 
Presbytery  of  Springfield.”  The  following  is 
an  extract  from  this  curious  paper : 

“ With  deep  concern  they  viewed  the  divisions 
and  party  spirit,  which  have  long  existed  among 
professing  Christians ; principally  owing  to  the 
adoption  of  human  creeds  and  forms  of  govern- 
ment. While  they  were  united  in  the  name  of  a 
Presbytery,  they  endeavoured  to  cultivate  a spirit 
of  love  and  unity  with  all  Christians ; but  found 
it  exceedingly  difficult  to  suppress  the  idea,  that 
they  themselves  were  a party  separate  from  others. 
This  difficulty  increased  in  proportion  to  their  suc- 
cess in  the  ministry,”  &c.#  Hence  they  resolved 
on  a dissolution,  as  “there  was  neither  precept  nor 
example  in  the  New  Testament  for  such  confede- 
racies as  modern  church  Sessions,  Presbyteries, 
Synods,  General  Assemblies,  &c.”f 

These  principles,  which,  it  must  be  avowed, 
embody  the  essence  of  original  Protestantism,  gave 
rise,  shortly  afterwards,  to  the  new  sect  of  which 
Alexander  Campbell  is  now  the  great  champion 
and  leader — the  second  in  succession  from  Barton 
W.  Stone,  who,  we  belive  is,  however,  still  living. 
This  new  sect  has  become  numerous,  especially 
in  the  west ; and  it  goes  under  the  various  names 
of  “Reformers,”  “Christians,”  “Disciples”  and 
“Campbellites,”  which  latter  is  the  more  usual  de- 
nomination among  the  uninitiated.  This  sect — 
which  yet  professes  to  be  no  sect!! — is  not  yet  old 
enough  to  have  obtained  a fixed  Christian  name  * 
And,  yet,  with  the  charm  of  novelty,  it  has  swept 
off  vast  numbers  from  the  other  sects,  especially 
from  the  Baptists. 

* Ibid.  p.  135. 


t Ibid.  p.  135-6 


98 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


Dissensions  and  quarrels  seem  to  be  the  heir- 
loom of  early  Presbyterianism  in  Kentucky : and  in 
this  respect  Calvinism  in  our  State  has  been  but 
consistent  with  its  general  spirit  and  character 
every  where,  and  at  every  time.  We  have  already 
given  several  instances  of  this  spirit : we  must 
yet  furnish  one  or  two  more. 

Among  the  first  Presbyterian  preachers  who 
came  to  Kentucky  was  the  Rev.  Adam  Rankin, 
who  settled  at  Lexington  in  1784  or  1785. # 

“In  Oct.  1789,  Mr.  Rankin  was  arraigned  before 
the  Presbytery  of  which  he  was  a member,  on  a 
general  charge  of  slandering  his  brethren  in  the 
ministry.  After  a delay  of  something  better  than 
two  years,  the  charge  was  considered  by  Presbytery 
as  substantiated,  and  Mr.  Rankin  was  required  to 
submit  to  what  censure  might  be  deemed  necessa- 
ry. Mr.  Rankin,  instead  of  submitting,  declined 
ail  farther  connection  with  Presbytery,  and  re- 
ceived on  the  spot  what  was  called  the  right  hand 
of  fellowship,  from  a considerable  number  of  the 
bystanders.  He  proceeded  immediately  to  orga- 
nize separate  societies — for  which  cause,  as  well 
as  for  contumacy,  the  Presbytery,  at  a subsequent 
meeting,  solemnly  deposed  him  from  the  ministe- 
rial oflice.”f 

The  author  continues : 

“Whatever  was  the  truth  in  the  case,  the  great 
majority  of  the  people,  who  adhered  to  Mr.  Ran- 
kin, sincerely  believed  that  he  was  a slandered  man, 
and  that  other  men  of  the  Presbytery  were  the  slan- 
derers— and  that  Mr.  Rankin  had  suffered,  and 
still  was  suffering,  for  his  sincere,  and  ardent,  and 

* See  Ibid.  p.  140.  This  author,  let  it  be  remembered,  seems 
to  be  a Presbyterian  himself — a circumstance  which  greatly  en- 
hances the  value  of  his  testimony,  whenever  his  brethren  are 
concerned.  t Ibid.  p.  141. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


99 


consciencious  attachment  to  the  exclusive  use  of 
Rouse’s  version  of  the  Psalms  of  David,  in  oppo- 
sition to  Watt’s  Imitation.  Hence  they  consider- 
ed him  and  themselves,  as  faithful  testimony-bear- 
ing men,  for  what  they  called  the  Scriptural 
Psalmody,  in  opposition  to  psalms  and  hymns  of 
human  composition,  and  of  human  authority. 

In  May,  1793,  Mr.  Rankin  and  his  adherants 
attached  themselves  to  the  Associate  Reformed 
Church,  into  which  body  they  were  received  at  a 
general  Synod  held  in  Philadelphia.  With  his 
new  co-religionists  he  did  not,  however,  fare  better 
than  he  had  with  the  old.  The  charge  of  slander 
was  again  branded  on  his  brow,  by  a commission 
appointed  by  the  General  Synod  of  the  Associate 
Reformed  Church.  The  condemnation  is  couch- 
ed in  the  following  strong  language : 

“Their  decision  on  the  whole  of  the  premises 
is — That  the  Rev.  Adam  Rankin,  convicted  before 
them  of  lying  and  slandering  his  brethren,  is  a 
scandalous  person,  and  ought  not  to  continue  in 
the  exercise  of  the  Christian  ministry  ; and  they 
accordingly  did,  and  hereby  do,  in  the  name,  and 
by  the  authority  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  the  only 
King  and  Head  of  the  church,  suspend  him,  the 
said  A.  Rankin,  from  the  office  of  the  Gospel  min- 
istry, forbidding  him  all  and  every  one  of  the 
proper  acts  thereof,  until  he  be  lawfully  restored 
thereto.  Done  at  Lexington,  State  of  Kentucky, 
this  17th  day  of  September,  1818.”f 

Signed  by  the  Commission — four  in  number. 

Another  Presbyterian  preacher  of  high  standing 
in  the  communion,  the  Rev.  James  McChord,  of 
Lexington,  became  involved  in  difficulties  with 
his  own  church.  For  having  published  a work 

*Ibid.  p.  141-2.  t Ibid.  p.  142-3. 


100 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


which  was  supposed  to  contain  unsound  doctrine; 
he  was  arraigned  before  his  own  Presbytery,  in 
October,  1815,  and  suspended  from  the  exercise  of 
the  ministry.  He  appealed  to  the  General  Synod, 
which  confirmed  the  decision  of  the  inferior  tribu- 
nal, in  May,  1S17.  Upon  this,  “he  put  in  a de- 
clinature of  their  authority,  and  appealed  to 
churches  who  might  be  disposed  to  do  him  jus- 
tice; 55  alleging  that  the  proceedings  of  the  tribu- 
nals which  had  condemned  him  had  been  “illegal 
and  unrighteous. 

This  chapter  would  extend  to  too  great  a length, 
did  we  propose  to  exhibit  all  the  facts  in  the  early 
history  of  the  Presbyterian  church  in  Kentucky, 
setting  forth  its  fierce  and  wrangling  spirit.  The 
instances  already  given  will  suffice  for  our  pur- 
pose ; and  we  must  hasten  on  to  other  matters. 

The  Baptists  of  Kentucky  were  scarcely  more 
united  than  the  Presbyterians.  Disunion,  in  fact, 
has  ever  been  the  heritage  of  error,  as  union  has 
been  always  the  distinctive  mark  of  truth.  The 
Baptists  of  Kentucky  emigrated  to  the  State  chiefly 
from  Yirginia.  They  brought  with  them  across 
the  mountains  the  divisions  by  which  the  society 
was  rent  in  the  “Old  Dominion.”  The  chief  sects 
were  the  Regular  and  the  Separate  Baptists  : the 
former  strongly  Calvinistic,  while  the  latter  were 
much  more  numerous. f These  divisions  having, 
in  Yirginia,  coalesced  into  one  body,  styled  the 
“United  Baptists,”  in  the  year  1787,  the  Baptists 
of  Kentucky,  were  strongly  stimulated  to  follow 
the  example.  But  many  attempts  at  reconciliation 
proved  unsuccessful,  until  at  length,  if  we  are  to 
believe  our  author,  the  pacification  was  brought 
about  by  means  of  the  great  revival  of  1800-1-2. 

♦ Ibid.  p.  174-5*  f Ibid.  p.  290. 


4 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


101 


But,  as  the  sequel  proved,  this  was  a mere  truce, 
not  a permanent  union.  Some  years  afterwards, 
the  Baptists  of  Kentucky  were  divided  into  vari- 
ous warring  sects,  among  which  the  most  promi- 
nent were  those  of  the  Open  and  Close  Com- 
munion, and  the  Ironsides,  so  called ; and  now 
the  denomination  is  dreadfully  rent  by  its  contro- 
versies with  the  Reformers  or  Campbellites. 

Our  historian  discourses  after  this  wise  of  the 
influence  of  the  great  Revival  on  the  controversies 
among  the  Baptists  of  Kentucky. 

“But  in  the  time  of  the  great  revival,  the  out- 
pourings of  the  Divine  Spirit,  and  its  softening 
influence  on  the  minds  of  the  saints,  prepared  the 
way  for  that  reconciliation  and  union,  which  all 
their  weighty  arguments  and  assiduous  endea- 
vours had  not  been  able  to  accomplish.  This  as- 
tonishing work,  in  the  year  1800  and  following, 
prevailed  most  powerfully  among  the  Separate,  as 
well  as  the  Regulars.  The  churches  and  members 
were  now  much  intermixed.  All  were  visited  and 
refreshed  by  the  copious  and  abundant  rain  of 
righteousness  which  was  poured  upon  the  land  ; 
and  regardless  of  names,  they  unitedly  engaged 
in  enjoying  and  forwarding  the  precious  and  pow- 
erful work.”# 

This  same  great  revival  was  truly  an  “astonish- 
ing and  precious  work’’ — the  most  astonishing 
perhaps,  if  not  the  most  precious,  that  ever  was 
witnessed  in  the  world  ! It  marked  an  era  in  the 
Protestant  church  history  of  Kentucky.  It  was 
on  the  whole  so  very  singular,  that  we  will  be 
pardoned  for  dwelling  on  it  in  some  detail.  And 
first,  we  will  give  a pretty  accurate  account  of  the 
revival,  furnished  by  a distinguished  living  Pro- 


* Ibid.  p.  292-3 


102 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


testant  writer ; and  then  we  will  add  some  addi- 
tional particulars  gleaned  from  other  authentic 
sources. 

In  a late  work,#  Col.  Wm.  Stone,  of  New  York, 
thus  speaks  of  this  “great  revival 

“About  thirty  or  thirty-five  years  ago,  there  was 
an  extensive  revival  of  religion  (so  called)  in  Ken- 
tucky, characterized  by  the  greatest  fanaticism, 
accompanied  by  a great  variety  of  bodily  affec- 
tions, and  running  into  many  painful  excesses. 
These  fanatics  were  reducible  to  various  classes, 
some  of  which  were  affected  by  the  falling  exer- 
cise;5 and  others,  by  what,  was  called  ‘the  jerking 
exercise;5  others  were  moved  by  the  Spirit  to  pro- 
pose ‘the  running  exercise  ;5  and  others  again, ‘the 
climbing  exercise5 — all  of  which  exercises  are  suf- 
ficiently indicated  by  their  names.  It  was  a fre- 
quent occurrence  for  a number  of  people  to  gather 
round  a tree,  some  praying,  and  others  imitating 
the  barking  of  dogs,  which  operation  was  called, 
in  familiar  parlance  among  them,  ‘treeing  the 
devil.5(!)  It  was  stated  also  concerning  the  same 
people  that  in  their  religious  assemblies,  or  other 
places  of  worship,  religious  professors  of  zeal  and 
standing,  would  get  out  into  the  broad  aisle,  and 
go  down  upon  their  knees  together,  playing  mar- 
bles, and  other  childish  games,  under  the 
notion  of  obeying  the  saying  of  the  Saviour — 
‘Except  ye  be  converted,  and  become  as  lit- 
tle children , ye  cannot  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
heaven  ;5  others  would  ride  up  and  down  the  aisle 
of  the  church,  on  sticks,  &c. 

“It  was  farther  said,  that  the  religious  leaders,  or 
at  least  one  of  them,  by  the  name  of  McNamara, 
would  affect  to  personate  Satan  : that  on  a certain 

* “Mathias  and  his  Impostures. ” N.  York  1835,  1 vol.  12mo, 
p.  312-13. 


IN  KENTUCKY, 


103 


occasion  during  Camp-meeting  lie  was  creeping 
about  among  the  peoples’  feet,  exclaiming,  ‘I  am 
the  old  serpent  that  tempted  Eve :’  when  approach- 
ing, in  this  manner,  to  a Scotchman,  who  was  on 
the  ground  as  a spectator,  the  man  lifted  up  his 
heel,  and  stamping  on  the  face  of  the  minister,  re- 
plied : ‘The  seed  of  the  woman  shall  bruise  the 
serpent’s  head.’  This  man,  McNamara,  was  re- 
garded among  them  with  superstitious  reverence, 
insomuch,  that  it  was  common  for  them  to  sing, 
in  worship,  a hymn  having  for  its  chorus — ‘glory 
to  God  and  McNamara!’  A pious  friend  of  the 
writer,  who  was  at  the  time  a student  of  theology 
under  the  late  Dr.  Mason,  states  that  these  facts 
were  reported  by  his  fellow-students  from  Ken- 
tucky, one  of  whom  actually  heard  the  blasphe- 
mous chorus  sung  ! And  yet  all  these  affections, 
these  ‘fantastic  tricks,’  which  might  well  ‘make 
angels  weep,’  were  fully  believed  to  be  the  work 
of  the  Holy  Spirit — the  fruits  and  evidence  of 
conversion — and  it  would  have  been  bold  impiety 
and  blasphemy  to  doubt  it.” 

The  writer  adds  to  this  statement — for  the  sub- 
stantial accuracy  of  which  all  the  older  inhabitants 
of  Kentucky  will  willingly  vouch — the  following 
judicious  reflections : 

“What  sober  Christian  does  not  shrink  with 
pain,  sorrow,  and  disgust,  from  proceedings  like 
those  just  related,  carried  on  under  the  name  of 
religion,  and  with  an  impious  confidence  referred 
to  the  direct  agency  of  the  Holy  Spirit?  And  yet 
they  are  scarcely  more  extravagant  or  revolting 
than  have  been  witnessed  in  our  own  day,  and  in 
some  of  the  most  enlightened  regions  of  our  own 
State.  Look  at  the  present  condition  of  the 
churches  of  western  New  York,  which  have  be- 


104 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


come  in  truth,  ‘a  people  scattered  and  peeled/ 

To  understand  more  fully  how  very  “preri°us 
and  astonishing”  this  great  revival  was,  we  must 
farther  reflect : 1st.  That  it  produced,  not  a mere 
momentary  excitement,  but  one  that  lasted  for 
several  successive  years  : 2ndly.  That  it  was  not 
confined  to  one  particular  denomination,  but,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent,  pervaded  all ; 3rdly.  That 
men  of  sense  and  of  good  judgment  in  other  mat- 
ters, were  often  carried  away  by  the  same  fanati- 
cism which  swayed  the  mob  ; 4thly.  That  this 
fanaticism  was  as  wide-spread,  as  it  was  perma- 
nent—not  being  confined  to  Kentucky,  but  per- 
vading most  of  the  adjoining  States  and  territories; 
and  5thly.  That  though  some  were  found  who 
had  good  sense  enough  to  detect  the  imposture, 
yet  they  were  comparatively  few  in  number,  and 
ivholly  unable  to  stay  the  rushing  torrent  of  fana- 
ticism, even  if  they  had  had  the  moral  courage  to 
attempt  it. 

Such  are  some  of  the  leading  features  of  a move- 
ment in  religion,  (!)  which  is  perhaps  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  recorded  in  history,  and  to 
which  we  know  of  but  few  parallels,  except  in 
some  of  the  fanatical  doings  of  the  Anabaptists  in 
Germany,  during  the  first  years  of  their  history. 
The  whole  matter  furnishes  one  more  conclusive 
evidence  of  the  weakness  of  the  human  mind, 
when  left  to  itself;  and  one  more  sad  commentary 
on  the  Protestant  rule  of  faith.  Here  we  see 
whole  masses  of  population,  spread  over  a vast 
territory,  boasting  too  of  their  enlightenment  and 
Bible-learning,  swayed  for  years  by  a fanaticism, 
as  absurd  as  it  was  blasphemous  ; and  yet  believ- 
ing all  thisvto  be  the  work  of  the  Holy  Spirit!! 
Let  Protestants  after  this  talk  about  Catholic  igno- 

♦ Ibid.  p.  313-14, 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


105 


ranee  and  superstition ! Had  Catholics  ever  play- 
ed the  “fantastic  tricks/’  which  were  played  otf  by 
Protestants  during  these  years,  we  would  perhaps 
never  hear  the  end  of  it. 

The  picture  drawn  above  by  Col.  Stone  is  not 
only  not  exaggerated,  but  it  even  falls  short  of  the 
original,  in  many  of  its  features.  Besides  the  “ex- 
ercises” which  he  mentions,  there  was  also  the 
jumpmg  exercise.  Spasmodic  convulsions,  which 
lasted  sometimes  for  hours,  were  the  usual  sequel 
to  the  falling  exercise.  Then  there  were  the  “ex- 
ercises” of  screaming , and  shouting , and  crying . 
A Camp-meeting  during  that  day  exhibited  the 
strangest  bodily  feats,  accompanied  with  the  most 
Babel-like  sounds.  An  eye-witness  of  undoubted 
veracity,  stated  to  us,  that  in  passing  one  of  the 
camp-grounds,  he  noticed  a man  in  the  “ barking 
exercise,”  clasping  a tree  with  his  arms,  and  dash- 
ing his  head  against  it  until  it  was  all  besmeared 
with  blood,  shouting  all  the  time  that  he  had  “treed 
his  Saviour”!!  Another  eye-witness  stated,  that 
in  casually  passing  by  a camp  in  the  night,  while 
the  exercises  were  at  the  highest,  he  witnessed 
scenes  of  too  revolting  a character  even  to  be  al- 
luded to  here. 

One  of  the  most  remarkable  features,  perhaps, 
of  these  “exercises”  is,  the  apparently  well  authen- 
ticated fact,  that  many  fell  into  them,  by  a kind  of 
sympathy,  almost  in  spite  of  themselves,  and  some 
even  positively  against  their  own  will ! Some 
who  visited  the  meetings  to  laugh  at  the  proceed- 
ings, sometimes  caught  the  contagion  themselves. 
There  seems  to  have  then  existed  in  Kentucky  a 
kind  of  mental  and  moral  epidemic — a sort  of  con- 
tagious frenzy — which  spread  rapidly  from  one  to 
another. 


106 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


Yet  the  charm  was  not  so  strong  that  it  could 
not  be  broken,  as  the  following  incident,  related  to 
us  by  a highly  intelligent  Protestant  gentleman, 
clearly  proves.  Some  young  ladies  of  his  acquain- 
tance came  from  one  of  those  meetings  to  pass  the 
night  at  his  father’s  house.  They  were  labouring 
under  great  nervous  excitement,  and,  in  the  course 
of  the  evening,  began  to  jerk  most  violently.  The 
father,  one  of  the  most  intelligent  men  in  Ken- 
tucky, severely  rebuked  them,  and  told  them 
bluntly,  that  he  would  “have  no  such  behavior  as 
this  in  his  house.”  The  reproof  was  effectual, 
and  the  jerking  spirit  was  exorcised  ! 

Among  the  early  sects  of  Kentucky,  the  Sha- 
kers are  not  the  least  remarkable.  In  the  spring 
of  1805,  three  members  of  this  fraternity  visited 
Kentucky.#  They  soon  made  proselytes;  and 
they  now  have  two  flourishing  establishments : 
one  in  Mercer,  and  the  other  in  Logan  county. 
They  are  disciples  of  Ann  Lee,  and  date  back  their 
origin  to  the  respectable  antiquity  of  the  year  1750. 
They  condemn  marriage  as  unlawful,  and  profess 
to  believe  that  the  milennium,  or  second  resurrec- 
tion, has  already  come.  On  the  Trinity,  they 
teach  a curious  medley  of  blasphemies,  among 
which  the  principal  is,  that  the  Word  was  commu- 
nicated to  the  man  Jesus,  and  that  the  Holy  Ghost, 
whom  they  hold  to  be  a female,  was  personally 
imparted  to  the  woman  Ann  Lee ; and  her  they 
view  as  having  been  necessary  to  complete  the 
work  of  the  Redemption.!  Their  worship  con- 

* “An  outline  of  the  History  of  the  Church,’*  etc.  befoie  cited, 
p.  138. 

t See  one  of  their  standard  works,  printed  in  1808,  at  Leba- 
non, Ohio.  See  also  an  able  article  on  the  subject  in  the  “An- 
nales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foy,”  vol.  3.  p.  216,  seqq. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


107 


sists  in  dancing  till  they  are  covered  with  perspi- 
ration, and  are  on  the  point  of  dropping  with  ex- 
haustion. They  own  nothing  individually,  but 
live  in  common,  under  their  superiors,  who  feast 
their  disciples  occasionally  with  particular  revela- 
tions from  Mother  Ann  !* 

We  will  conclude  this  hasty  sketch  of  the  early 
Protestant  sects  in  Kentucky,  by  the  following  cu- 
rious statistical  table,  exhibiting  the  religious 
complexion  of  the  population  of  our  State,  in  the 
year  1820.  We  are  indebted  for  it  to  the  work 
which  we'  have  already  so  often  quoted. 

“According  to  the  census  of  1820,  the  popula- 
tion of  Kentucky  stood  thus : 


Whites,  ...  434,644 

Slaves,  - - - 126,732 

Free  people  of  colour,  - 2,759 

Other  persons,  - - 182 


Total,  - 564,317 


According  to  the  documents  to  which  we  have 

* For  more  information  on  the  doctrines  of  the  Shakers,  see  a 
very  curious,  rhapsodical,  and  blasphemous  book,  lately  pub- 
lished by  the  sect  in  the  east,  entitled:  “A  Holy,  Sacred,  and 
Divine  Roll  and  Book,  sent  forth  by  the  Lord  God  of  Heaven  to 
the  inhabitants  of  Earth.— Read  and  understand,  all  ye  in  mor- 
tal clay. — Pp.  222;  Canterbury,  New  Hampshire,  1843."  This 
book  purports  to  be  a new  revelation  from  heaven — a sort  of 
new  bible;  a second  Joe  Smith  and  Mormonite  concern.  Sel- 
dom have  we  read  so  much  incoherent  blasphemy  within  the 
same  compass.  Though  the  book  purports  to  be  wholly  divine, 
yet  it  is  curious  to  notice  that  a committee  of  the  Shakers  found  it 
necessary  to  append  to  it  some  corrections  and  explanations  ! 
Verily,  this  ia  the  age  of  humbuggery,  imposture,  and  enlight- 
enment! 


108 


THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS 


had  access  at  this  time,  the  Christian  population 
stands  thus : 


Baptists, 

Methodists, 

Presbyterians, 

Cumberland  Presbyterians, 
Others, 

21,680 

20,850 

2,700 

1,000 

500 

Total,  - 

40,730 

The  number  of  whites,  male  and 

female,  under  10  years,  about  166,100 
The  number  of  blacks,  do.  do.  24,350 

Total,  - 

190,450 

From  the  whole  population, 
Take  the  number  under  10, 

564,317 

190,450 

And  there  remain, 

- 373,867 

From  this  number,  take  the  number 
of  Church  members,  - - 46,730 


And  there  remain,  - - 327,137 

To  be  brought  under  the  influences  of  a Christian 
profession.”* 

This  table  exhibits  a truly  frightful  religious 
condition  of  the  Protestant  sects  in  Kentucky,  in 
the  year  1820.  The  author  does  not  take  into  the 
account  either  the  Roman  Catholics — did  he  think 
them  Christians? — or  the  Episcopalians  : and  his 
statement  may  have  other  defects,  for  ought  we 
known.  Still,  as  far  as  it  goes,  it  cannot  have 
been  far  out  of  the  way.  Making  every  due  al- 

♦ Ibid.  p.  306-7. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


109 


lowance,  it  still  appears,  then,  that,  up  to  the  year 
1820,  the  Protestant  sects  of  Kentucky,  with  all 
their  parade  about  religion,  the  Sabbath,  and  the 
' Bible,  did  not  succeed  in  making  Christians  of 
more  than  one-eighth  of  the  whole  population 
over  ten  years  of  age !!  And  that,  up  to  that  time, 
seven-eighths  of  the  adult  population  had  not  been 
“brought  under  the  influence  of  a Christian  pro- 
fession. ” !!  What  became  of  all  the  converts 
made  in  the  “great  revival?” 

The  Protestant  historian  estimates  the  whole 
number  of  preachers  employed  in  Kentucky,  in 
the  year  1820,  at  two  hundred.  Taking  this  as 
the  basis  of  his  remarks,  he  makes  the  following 
commentary  on  the  statistical  table  given  above — 
a commentary  which  strongly  confirms  its  sub- 
stantial accuracy: 

“Suppose  there  are  two  hundred  preachers  actu- 
ally employed  every  Sabbath,  and  that  each  has 
an  audience  of  200,  there  will  be  only  40,000 
worshippers  in  all : a number  somewhat  less  than 
the  number  of  church  members.  Yet,  taking  all 
the  circumstances  Connected  with  the  arrange- 
ments of  the  different  churches  throughout  the 
year,  into  view,  we  are  persuaded  that  the  average 
number  of  regular  Sabbath  day  worshippers  does 
not  exceed  this  number.  Now  take  this  forty  thorn 
sand  from  five  hundred  thousand,  the  population 
of  the  State,  and  you  have  four  hundred  and  sixty 
thousand,  every  Sabbath,  who  are  not  attending 
public  worship  any  where. 

This  is  truly  a startling  and  appalling  statement! 
It  exhibits  the  fiightful  condition  in  which  Pro- 
testantism left  Kentucky,  after  nearly  forty  years’ 
exertion  for  the  conversion  and  enlightenment  of 

* Ibid.  p.  308. 

I 


110  THE  PROTESTANT  SECTS,  &C. 

its  people ! The  religious  statistics  of  no  Catho- 
lic country  in  the  world  present  any  thing  one 
hundredth  part  so  sad  and  afflicting.  And  yet 
Protestant  preachers  are  in  the  habit  of  sneering 
at  the  ignorance  and  superstition  of  Catholic  coun- 
tries!! And  even  in  Kentucky,  they  have  lately 
gone  so  far  as  to  get  up  “holy  leagues”  for  evan- 
gelizing “the  ignorant  and  priest-ridden  Italians !” 
Better,  by  far,  extend  their  superfluous  zeal  on 
their  own  people.  Those  who,  by  their  own 
showing,  have  beams  in  their  own  eyes,  should 
not  be  so  very  solicitous  about  extracting  the  motes 
from  the  eyes  of  their  neighbours. 


CHAPTER  VII. 


M.  Badin  again  alone.* — From  1803  to  1805. 


Death  of  missionaries — M.  Rivet  and  General  Harrison — 
But  three  Catholic  missionaries  in  the  whole  West — Labours  of 
M.  Badin  increase — No  rest  in  this  life — Anecdote  of  Bishop 
David — M.  Badin  not  dead — Fruits  of  his  labours — Piety  of  early 
Catholics— Zeal  to  attend  church — “Uncle  Harry,”  a pious 
negro — Hospitable  Catholics  of  the  olden  time — Distinguished 
men  of  Kentucky,  friends  of  M.  Badin — Joe  Daviess — Converts 
— Judge  Twyman — Mrs.  Onan — Singular  charge  against  Catho- 
lics— Is  the  Pope  antichrist? — Zealous  Catholic  laymen — Anec- 
dotes— Celibacy — Having  two  wives — The  “Water-witch” — 
Asking  a sign — Divorces — Praying  by  Proclamation — How 
many  Commandments? — “Principles  of  Catholics”— Discus- 
sion with  preacher  McHenry— Famous  sermon  on  Baptism. 

Divine  Providence,  as  we  have  seen,  had  al- 
ready sent  several  missionaries  to  our  State,  to 
labour  in  conjunction  with  the  Very  Rev.  Vicar 
General,  M.  Badin.  But  death  and.  the  hardships 
of  the  mission  had  gradually  deprived  him  of  all 
these  fellow-labourers ; and  he  was  again  left  alone. 
M.  Salmon  had  died  in  1799  ; and  M.  Fournier  in 
February,  1803 : and  Rev.  Mr.  Thayer  had  left 
Kentucky  early  in  the  spring  following. 

To  add  to  the  afflictions  of  M.  Badin,  and  to  in- 
crease still  more  his  solitude,  death  had  also  de- 

* The  facts  contained  in  this  chapter  rest  chiefly  on  the  de- 
tailed oral  statements  of  M.  Badin  ; of  which  statements  accu- 
rate notes  were  taken  at  the  time. 


i 2 


112 


M.  BADIN 


prived  him  of  the  dear  and  intimate  friend,  whose 
letters  had  so  often  poured  the  balm  of  consola- 
tion into  his  afflicted  heart.  M.  Rivet,  the  zeal- 
ous pastor  of  Vincennes,  had  died  during  the  pre- 
vious winter  of  1802-3.  He  had  won  the  respect 
and  secured  the  warm  friendship  of  the  late  la- 
mented President  Harrison,  who  at  that  time  re- 
sided at  Vincennes,  as  Governor  of  the  Northwes- 
tern Territory.  Governor  Harrison  visited  him  in 
his  last  sickness,  did  all  that  kindness  and  friend- 
ship could  do  to  procure  him  every  species  of 
comfort,  both  bodily  and  mental,  and  received 
his  last  breath. 

The  melancholy  intelligence  of  the  death  of  his 
friend,  greatly  afflicted  the  heart  of  M.  Badin, 
which  had  been  already  deeply  touched  by  similar 
scenes  nearer  home.  Forlorn  and  desolate  in 
heart,  he  remained  alone  in  Kentucky  for  more 
than  seventeen  months,  during  which  time  he  had 
no  opportunity  to  pour  his  griefs  into  the  ear  of 
a brother  clergyman.  Besides  himself,  there  were 
at  that  time  but  two  other  Catholic  missionaries  in 
the  whole  northwest : the  Rev.  Donation  Olivier, 
at  Prairie  du  Rocher , in  Illinois ; and  the  Rev. 
Gabriel  Richard,  at  Detroit,  in  Michigan. 

The  former  was  a native  of  Nantes,  in  France, 
and  was  one  of  the  oldest  Catholic  Missionaries 
in  the  Valley  of  the  Mississippi.  His  residence 
was  at  Prairie  du  Rocher , but  he  visited  St.  Louis, 
St.  Genevieve,  Cahokias,  Kaskaskias,  and  some- 
times Vincennes.#  The  latter  was  also  a native  of 

* He  died  &t  the  Seminary  of  the  Barrens,  in  Missouri,  on  the 
29th  of  January,  1841,  at  the  advanced  age  of  95  years.  This 
venerable  missionary  was  admirable  for  his  child-like  simplicity 
and  unaffected  piety,  which  he  exhibited  to  his  last  breath. 
Truly  he  was  a model  for  missionaries — a mirror  for  the  clergy! 
See  his  obituary  ip  the  Catholip  Advocate,  vpl.  vi.  p.  23. 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


113 


France.  He  was  a zealous  and  pious  Sulpician, 
as  remarkable  for  his  talents,  as  he  was  for  the 
polish  and  sweetness  of  his  manners.  He  was 
elected  a Delegate  to  Congress,  by  his  fellow-citi- 
zens of  the  Michigan  Territory.  He  died  of  the 
cholera,  in  the  summer  of  1832,  a few  weeks  be- 
fore Bishop  Fenwick.  He  did  much  for  the  Ca- 
tholic religion  in  Michigan : in  fact,  he  may  be 
viewed  as  the  founder  of  the  Catholic  missions  in 
that  district.^ 

When  M.  Badin  was  thus  left  alone,  his  mission- 
ary duties  greatly  increased.  He  had  to  supply 
the  place  of  his  two  deceased  brethren,  as  well  as 
that  of  Mr.  Thayer.  The  Catholic  population  of 
Kentucky  was  also  daily  on  the  increase,  chiefly 
by  emigration  from  Maryland.  On  his  first  arrival 
in  the  State,  the  number  of  Catholic  families  did 
not,  perhaps,  exceed  three  hundred  : ten  years  had 
elapsed ; and  the  number  was  now  swelled  to 
nearly  a thousand.  These  were  scattered  over 
the  whole  State  ; and  to  visit  them  all,  even  occa- 
sionally, required  almost  supernatural  exertion  in 
one  solitary  missionary. 

M.  Badin  continued  to  reside  at  St.  Stephen’s, 
as  the  most  central  point  of  his  vast  mission.  But 
he  lived  almost  entirely  on  horseback.  He  had 
no  rest,  day  nor  night.  His  natural  activity  of 
mind  and  body,  was  stimulated  by  a lively  sense 
of  duty,  and  a feeling  of  the  awful  responsibility 
of  his  charge.  When  worn  down  by  labour,  his 
friends  often  advised  him  to  take  some  rest ; but 
he  was  wont  to  answer  them,  that  he  expected  no 

* The  town  and  church  of  Detroit  were  burned  by  accident,  in 
the  year  1 805.  The  church  was  subsequently  rebuilt  by  the  ex- 
ertions of  M.  Richard.  In  the  northwest  and  southwest  there 
are  now  thirteen  Bishops,  and  more  than  two  hundred  and  fifty 
priests! 

i 3 


114 


M.  BADIN 


repose  in  this  life.*  He  was  always  cheerful,  in 
the  midst  of  all  his  labours,  and  God  preserved  his 
health  unimpaired  for  the  benefit  of  his  people. 

His  labours  and  hardships  were  so  great,  in  fact, 
and  he  had  to  pass  through  so  many  dangers,  that 
his  death  was  reported  more  than  once.  The  fol- 
lowing humorous  instance  of  the  kind  may  not  be 
here  wholly  out  of  place.  While  he  was  walking 
the  streets  of  Louisville,  on  Easter  Tuesday,  1806, 
he  met  Mr.  Pennington,  the  editor  of  a newspaper, 
then  published  in  that  place.  The  editor  seized 
his  hand  and  shook  it  warmly,  congratulating  him 
that  he  was  not  yet  dead ! He  then  conducted 
him  into  his  office,  and  showed  him  a very  lauda- 
tory obituary  notice,  some  impressions  of  which 
had  been  already  struck  off!  M.  Badin,  of  course, 
contradicted  the  account. 

In  the  midst  of  his  multiplied  duties,  M.  Badin 
was  cheered  by  the  abundant  fruits  with  which 
God  had  blessed  his  labours.  Disorders  had,  in  a 
great  measure,  disappeared,  and  piety  had  revived. 
He  was  much  consoled  by  the  increased  devotion 
of  his  people,  the  lives  of  many  of  whom  were 
truly  edifying.  They  listened  attentively  to  the 
instructions  of  their  pastor,  which  were  often  as 
lengthy  as  they  were  zealous;  and,  what  was  bet- 
ter still,  they  reduced  them  to  practice.  Especial- 
ly were  they  assiduous  in  attending  church  on 
Sundays,  whenever  they  had  an  opportunity  to  do 
so.  They  did  not  seek  to  exempt  themselves  from 
this  duty,  by  light  pretexts  of  the  weather  or  of 
indisposition. 

* On  this  subject,  we  may  be  pardoned  for  giving  the  following 
anecdote.  When  the  late  lamented  Bisfiop  David  saw  the  por- 
trait of  M.  Badin,  for  the  first  time,  he  raised  his  hands  and  eyes 
in  admiration,  and  said,  smiling  : “It  is  the  first  time  he  was 
ever  at  rest  in  his  whole  life!”  The  remark  had  as  much  truth 
as  wit. 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


115 


They  seem  to  have  complied  faithfully  with  the 
sufficiently  rigid  regulation  made  by  M.  Badin : 
that  those  who  had  horses  should  ride  ten  miles, 
and  those  who  had  none,  should  travel  on  foot  five 
miles,  to  church.  They  were  also  faithful  in  at- 
tending to  the  advice  of  their  pastor,  who  exhort- 
ed such  as  were  unable  to  hear  Mass  on  Sundays, 
to  say  the  whole  Rosary,  or  to  recite  the  Mass 
prayers  at  home,  in  the  presence  of  their  families. 

Besides  these  exercises  of  piety,  the  zealous 
missionary  had  recommended  public  prayer  in 
families,  morning  and  evening,  followed  by  spirit- 
ual reading  and  catechism  for  the  children  and 
servants ; and  he  had  the  satisfaction  to  learn  that 
his  advice  in  this  respect  was  generally  followed 
by  the  Catholics  under  his  charge.  Especially, 
was  he  gratified  by  the  regular  and  numerous  at- 
tendance at  the  Holy  Sacrifice  on  Sundays.*  Large 
multitudes  flocked  to  the  church,  at  an  early  hour, 
often  from  a distance  of  eight  and  ten  miles.  So 
great  was  the  eagerness  to  hear  Mass,  and  to  have 
an  opportunity  of  approaching  the  Sacraments, 
that  many  repaired  to  the  church  several  hours  be- 
fore the  dawn.  Sometimes,  even,  they  would  re- 
main in  the  church  during  the  whole  night ; often, 
too,  in  the  dead  of  winter!  At  that  early  period, 
there  were  few  articles  of  foreign  manufacture  in 
the  country ; and  both  men  and  women  often  came 
to  church  clad  in  buckskin  and  covered  with 
blankets,  with  moccasins  on  their  feet,  and  hand- 
kerchiefs about  their  heads,  instead  of  hats  and 
bonnets. f 

* See  the  condensed  statement  of  M.  Badin,  published  in  the 
“Annales” — p.  30-31 — sup.  cit> 
t See  Supra  chapter  ii  . 


116 


M.  BAD  IN 


Among  the  models  of  piety,  which  abounded 
during  the  time  of  which  we  are  treating,  we  can- 
not omit  to  say  a few  words  concerning  one  who 
was  as  eminent  for  his  virtue,  as  he  was  lowly  in 
condition.  The  name  of  the  truly  pious  and  ex- 
emplary negro  servant,  commonly  called  “Uncle 
Harry,”  is  familiar  to  most  of  the  older  Catholic 
settlers  of  Kentucky.  He  was  truly  a model  of 
every  Christian  virtue.  On  the  death  of  his  mas- 
ter, he  became  the  property  of  infant  heirs.  An 
old  and  faithful  family  servant,  he  was  left  by  the 
executor  to  his  own  choice  in  the  selection  of  his 
employment.  He  determined  to  go  to  the  salt- 
licks, thinking  that  there  he  could  earn  most  by 
his  labour,  for  the  benefit  of  the  young  heirs.  Be- 
fore departing,  however,  he  determined  to  consult 
M.  Badin  on  the  step  he  was  about  to  take.  His 
pastor  endeavoured  at  first  to  dissuade  him  from 
his  purpose,  representing  the  hardships  he  would 
there  have  to  undergo,  the  distance  from  church, 
and  the  danger  to  which  his  salvation  would  be 
exposed. 

“Uncle  Harry”  replied  to  this  last  reason,  with 
the  utmost  simplicity  of  faith  : “that  God  would 
protect  him  from  danger,  and  that  the  Blessed  Vir- 
gin would  take  care  of  him.”  M.  Badin  yielded. 
At  the  licks,  “Uncle  Harry”  was  a model  of  piety 
for  all.  When  any  one  of  his  fellow-servants  was 
sick,  he  was  always  called  for  ; and  on  these  occa- 
sions, he  did  every  thing  in  his  power  to  console 
and  instruct  the  sick  person,  by  the  bedside  of 
whom  he  was  wont  to  recite  his  beads,  and  to  say 
all  the  prayers  he  knew.  Sometime  afterwards  he 
was  publicly  sold,  and  purchased  by  a man  who 
was  not  a Catholic.  He  obtained  permission  to 
see  M.  Badin,  whom  he  induced  to  purchase  him, 
promising  that  his  labour  should  more  than  indem- 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


117 


nify  him  for  whatever  expense  he  might  incur.  A 
year  or  two  later,  M.  Badin  visited  him  while  he 
was  labouring  in  the  field : he  appeared  sad  and 
dejected,  and  on  being  asked  the  reason,  he  repli- 
ed, that  he  was  fearful  that  he  might  die  before  he 
could  repay  his  kind  master  what  he  had  expend- 
ed. M.  Badin  comforted  him,  and  the  good  negro 
again  put  on  a cheerful  countenance. 

He  said  prayers  morning  and  night,  with  the 
other  servants,  who  had  great  respect  for  his  vir- 
tue. He  gave  them  the  most  comfortable  beds, 
and  often  spent  the  night  in  prayer,  taking  but  a 
brief  repose,  on  the  hard  floor.  In  the  church,  he 
always  knelt  as  immoveable  as  a statue  ; and  was 
often  there  for  hours  before  the  rest  of  the  congre- 
gation. His  whole  life,  in  fact,  seemed  to  be  one 
continual  prayer : and  he  died,  as  he  had  lived, 
praying.  He  expired  without  a struggle.  One 
morning  he  was  found  dead,  sitting  upright  on  a 
stool,  his  hands  clasped  in  prayer,  holding  his 
beads,  and  his  countenance  irradiated  with  a sweet 
smile.  His  death  occurred  in  1806.# 

Among  the  Catholics  of  these  times,  who  were 
most  distinguished  for  their  piety  and  liberality  to 
the  church,  we  may  mention  Anthony  Sanders, 
Thomas  Gwynn,  Teresa  Gough,  and  Henrietta 
Boone.  The  last  named  laboured  indefatigably 
during  fifteen  years,  for  the  benefit  of  the  church, 
and  her  servants  cleared  the  farm  adjoining  St. 
Stephen’s — the  present  site  of  Loretto.  Messrs. 
Sanders  and  Gwynn  were  conspicuous  for  their 
generous  hospitality  to  the  first  Catholic  mission- 
aries of  Kentucky.  Their  houses  were  ever  the 
home  of  the  Catholic  clergy. 

* Those  who  were  acquainted  with  “Uncle  Harry”  will  know 
that  the  picture  above  drawn  of  him  is  not  too  highly  coloured. 
Virtue  is  admirable,  wherever  found,  and  God  often  chooses  the 
humblest  individuals  as  His  most  special  favourites. 


118 


M.  BADIN 


M.  Badin  was  acquainted  with  the  most  cele- 
brated men  in  Kentucky.  He  numbered  among 
his  friends,  Judge  Rowan,  Gen’l.  Todd,  Judge 
Nicholas,  Richard  M.  Johnson,  Robert  Alexander, 
and  Joe  Daviess.  A finished  scholar,  a man  of 
great  vivacity  and  wit,  and  the  countryman  of  La 
Fayette,  he  was  every  where  welcomed  by  the 
first  families  of  the  country.  His  first  acquaint- 
ance with  the  famous  Joe  Daviess  began  by  the 
latter’s  calling  accidentally  at  his  house,  to  inquire 
his  way,  which  he  had  missed ; and  the  acquaint- 
ance thus  began,  soon  ripened  into  a warm  mutual 
friendship.  Joe  Daviess  had  never  before  seen  a 
Catholic  priest,  and  he  was  astonished  to  find  in 
the  first  one  he  saw,  a man  so  thoroughly  intelli- 
gent and  polite.  He  borrowed  some  Catholic 
works,  and  promised  to  make  himself  better  ac- 
quainted with  the  Catholic  doctrine. 

M.  Badin  won  and  secured  the  esteem  of  all 
these  men  without  flattering  them  : on  the  contra- 
ry, he  often  told  them  his  mind  very  plainly ; 
while  he  not  only  did  not  conceal  any  doctrine  or 
practice  of  his  church,  but  openly  avowed  and  de- 
fended them  sill, — “in  season,”  and  sometimes, 
perhaps,  “out  of  season.”  His  frankness  pleased 
the  open  and  chivalrous  Kentuckians  of  his  day, 
and  won  him  many  friends. 

He  also  made  many  converts  during  his  mis- 
sionary career  in  Kentucky.  We  will  say  a few 
words  concerning  two  of  these.  Judge  James 
Twyman  had  fought  in  the  battle  of  the  Blue 
Licks,  from  which  he  narrowly  escaped  with  his 
life.  He  afterwards  became  a distinguished  law- 
yer. By  hearing  Catholic  instructions  and  read- 
ing Catholic  books,  his  intelligent  mind  soon  dis- 
covered that  the  Catholic  was  the  true  church,  and 
that  without  her  pale  there  was  nothing  but  waver- 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


119 


ing  and  uncertainty.  Manning’s  “Shortest  way 
to  end  Disputes,”  was  the  work  which  chiefly 
struck  him  as  conclusive  in  its  arguments.  Know- 
ing how  dangerous  it  was  to  tamper  with  divine 
grace,  he  did  not  delay  to  enter  into  the  Catholic 
church  : conversion  in  him  immediately  followed 
conviction. 

Nor  was  he  slow  to  avow  or  defend  the  faith 
Which  he  had  embraced  from  conviction,  as  the 
following  incident  will  show.  While  he  was  at- 
tending the  court  at  Washington,  in  Mason  county, 
the  people  sitting  at  dinner,  in  the  public  tavern, 
began  to  abuse  and  laugh  at  the  Catholics,  for 
their  stupidity  in  adoring  images  and  worshipping 
the  Virgin  Mary,  &c.  Judge  Twyman  listened 
in  silence,  and  when  they  had  done,  he  arose,  and, 
after  a pause  of  a moment,  to  rivet  attention,  he 
said,  slowly  and  deliberately : “look  at  me  : do  you 
think  I am  a fool?  1 am  a Roman  Catholic ! I 
Was  raised  a Protestant,  but  embraced  the  Catho- 
lic religion  after  a long  and  careful  examination.” 
The  announcement  created  quite  a sensation ; and 
not  another  word  was  said  against  Catholics  in 
hh  resence. 


le  other  convert  alluded  to,  was  Mrs.  Onan. 
She  was  very  intelligent,  and  was  well  versed  in 
the  Bible,  though  she  could  not  read.  She  was 
often  attacked  by  the  preachers,  who  made  every 
effort  to  gain  her  over  to  their  sects  : but  she  was 
able  to  quote  Scripture,  as  well  as  they,  and  often 
much  better.  M.  Badin  used  to  say  Mass  at  her 
house.  While  visiting  her,  in  the  year  1808,  she 
informed  him  that  a neighbouring  Baptist  preacher 
had,  on  the  Sunday  previous,  attempted  to  prove 
that  the  Catholics — vulgarly  called  Romans — had 
actually  crucified  Christ,  by  showing,  from  the 
Bible,  what  part  Pilate  and  his  Roman  soldiers  had 


120 


M.  BADIN 


taken  in  the  crucifixion!  She  asked  M.  Badin’s 
advice  on  the  subject,  and  also,  whether  it  would 
not  be  better,  that  she  should  go  to  refute  his  ab- 
surdity? M.  Badin  told  her  that  she  would  do 
much  better  to  stay  at  home,  and  say  her  prayers, 
and  let  the  preacher  alone.  Mrs.  Onan  repressed 
her  zeal,  and  continued  faithful  and  exemplary 
until  death. 

This  reminds  us  of  another  incident,  in  which 
a Catholic  lady  of  no  great  learning,  effectually 
refuted  and  silenced  a preacher,  who  had  assailed 
her  with  the  expectation  of  persuading  her  to 
abandon  Catholicity.  He  began  his  tirade,  by  ex- 
pressing his  surprise,  “that  a lady  of  her  well 
known  sense,  should  be  a follower  of  the  Pope, 
who  was  certainly  the  beast  of  the  Revelations, 

and  the  antichrist,”  &c.  The  lady,  Mrs.  S -n, 

quietly  continued  her  knitting,  until  the  preacher, 

G YV , had  fairly  wound  up  his  invective ; 

then  raising  her  eyes,  she  quietly  asked  him  : “do 
you  know  grammar,  sir?”  Somewhat  taken  aback, 
on  being  thus  catechized,  he  answered  in  the  af- 
firmative. “Well,”  resumed  Mrs.  S n,  “is  An- 

tichrist singular  or pluralV’  He  answered,  “sin- 
gular” “Are  two  hundred  and  fifty-six  Popes 
singular  or  plural ’?!!  He  answered : “they  are 

plural .”  “Therefore,”  concluded  Mrs.  S n, 

“the  Pope  is  not  antichrist.”  And  she  quietly 
resumed  her  knitting  ; while  the  preacher  left  her, 
complaining,  that  she  was  incorrigible,  and  kept  in 
wo ful  ignorance  by  her  priest! 

In  the  remote  stations  there  were  several  zeal- 
ous and  exemplary  laymen,  who  contributed  great- 
ly towards  keeping  up  the  true  Catholic  spirit  in 
their  respective  neighbourhoods.  In  the  long  in- 
tervals between  the  visits  of  the  pastor,  they  in- 
structed the  children  in  the  catechism,  and  had 


AGAIN  ALONG. 


121 


meetings  in  their  houses,  on  Sundays,  where  they 
said  the  Mass-prayers,  and  read  good  books  in 
common.  Among  the  most  zealous  of  these  lay- 
men, we  may  mention  a Mr.  Durbin,  of  Madison 
county,  who  was  often  known  to  ride  to  St.  Ste- 
phen’s— eighty  miles  distant — with  young  couples, 
whom  he  thus  prevented  from  marrying  out  of  the 
church. 

We  may  as  well  here  relate,  several  anecdotes 
connected  with  M.  Badin’s  many  rencounters  with 
the  preachers  or  leading  men  among  the  Protest- 
ant sects  in  Kentucky.  Some  of  these  incidents 
belong  to  a later  period ; but  we  will  give  them 
now,  as  we  may  not  have  occasion  to  refer  to  them 
in  the  sequel.  A volume  might  be  filled  with 
these  anecdotes,  in  which  M.  Badin  often  showed 
the  readiness  of  his  wit,  as  well  the  depth  of  his 
learning.  YVe  will  select  a few  of  the  more  strik- 
ing ; premising,  that  M.  Badin  made  it  a rule  not 
to  seek  controversy,  nor  to  decline  it,  when  it  was 
thrust  on  him.  He  was  always  ready  “to  give  an 
account  of  the  hope  that  was  in  him  and  cir- 
cumstances gave  him  many  opportunities  to  do  so. 
He  had,  too,  something  pointed  and.  piquant  in  his 
manner  and  style,  to  which  it  is  impossible  to  do 
full  justice,  in  a rapid  written  description. 

On  one  occasion,  while  he  was  travelling  on 
horseback,  in  Scott  county,  he  was  overtaken  by  a 
man  named  Shannon,  a shrewd  and  intelligent 
Protestant  gentleman  of  the  neighbourhood.  The 
conversation  soon  turned  on  the  subject  of  reli- 
gion. Mr.  Shannon  objected  particularly  to  the 
celibacy  of  the  clergy,  which  he  represented  as 
unscriptural,  dangerous,  and  impracticable.  He 
concluded  his  argument,  by  asking  emphatically  : 
“When  you  vowed  celibacy,  did  you  know  that  it 
would  always  suit  you  to  live  unmarried?”  M. 


122 


M.  BADIN 


Badin  instantly  answered,  by  asking  another  ques- 
tion : “When  you  vowed  at  the  altar  to  be  always 
faithful  to  your  wife,  did  you  know  that  she  would 
always  suit  you?”  The  man  was  non-plussed. 

On  another  occasion,  when  he  was  riding,  at  the 
distance  of  about  four  miles  from  Rardstown,  a 
preacher  attacked  him  on  the  same  point — a usual 
hobby  with  Protestants.  “M.  Badin,”  said  he, 
“there  are  some  things  in  your  church  which  I 
like ; but  there  are  others  which  I never  could  un- 
derstand.” “Very  probably ;”  dryly  answered  M. 
Badin.  After  an  awkward  pause,  the  preacher 
continued:  “for  instance,  M.  Badin,  I never  could 
understand  why  it  is  that  you  priests  do  not  mar- 
ry.” “I  am  married,”  replied  M.  Badin.  “What, 
you  married,”  quoth  the  preacher;  “you  really 
astonish  me !”  “I  am  married,  I tell  you,”  per- 
sisted M.  Badin.  “And  please  tell  me,”  resumed 
the  preacher,  “where  is  your  wife?”  M.  Badin 
answered : “I  am  married  to  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church  of  God!”  “Oh!”  said  the  preacher,  “/ 
am  married  to  the  church,  too,  but  I have  another 
wife.”  M.  Badin. — “Then  you  have  two  wives — 
one  of  them  must  be  an  adulteress — now  take  your 
choice  between  your  church  wife,  and  your  ivoman 
wife ! The  Scripture  says  : ‘No  man  can  serve 
two  masters5 — and  surely , no  man  can  serve  two 
mistresses /”  The  preacher,  Avho  had  expected  to 
make  his  companions  laugh  at  the  priest’s  ex- 
pense, now  found  the  laugh  turned  against  him- 
self! 

A preacher  once  asked  him  pompously,  profane- 
ly using  the  words  of  our  Blessed  Lord:  “What 
do  men  say  that  I am?”  M.  Badin  answered  in- 
stantly : “they  say  you  are  a preacher  and  a water- 
witch!”  The  answer  was  a palpable  hit : the 
preacher  was  then  at  the  house  of  Gen’l.  Walton, 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


123 


who  had  sent  for  him  to  ascertain  the  site  of  salt 
water  on  his  farm,  by  means  of  the  divining  rod ! 

A Dr.  Brown  once  asked  him  to  work  a miracle, 
in  order  to  establish  the  truth  of  his  doctrine.  M. 
Badin  immediately  answered,  in  the  words  of  our 
Blessed  Saviour:  “a  wicked  and  adulterous  gene- 
ration asketh  for  a sign  : and  no  sign  shall  be  giv- 
en it.”# 

Once,  M.  Badin  was  at  Frankfort,  during  the 
session  of  the  Legislature.  Many  applications  for 
divorce  were  made,  even  at  that  early  day.  A very 
intelligent  member  of  the  Senate,  one  day  asked 
him,  in  presence  of  several  others — “Why  it  was 
that  Catholics  never  applied  for  a divorce,  though 
all  other  denominations  were  in  the  habit  of  doing 
so?”  M.  Badin  answered,  smiling : “Do  you  not 
know  the  reason?  We  priests  know  how  to  marry 
people — your  preachers  are  mere  bunglers  at  the 
business  : they  do  not  understand  what  Christ 
said — ‘what  God  hath  joined  together,  let  not  man 
put  asunder.5  ”f 

M.  Badin  had  a notorious  servant,  named  Jared, 
who  was  a shrewd  fellow,  and  seemed  to  have 
caught  a little  of  his  master’s  wit.  We  must  re- 
late one  instance  of  this.  About  the  year  1812, 
President  Madison  issued  a proclamation,  appoint- 
ing a certain  day  for  fasting  and  prayer.  On  this 
day,  a Protestant  gentleman  was  riding  by  St.  Ste- 
phen’s ; and  observing  Jared  in  the  field,  he 
shouted  out  to  him,  and  asked  him  “to  whom  do 
you  belong?”  “To  priest  Badin,”  answered  Jared. 
Stranger.  “Well,  why  is  not  your  master  at 
church,  praying  for  the  government?  Does  he  not 
know  that  this  is  the  day  named  in  the  proclama- 
tion?’ Jared.  “Massa  prays  for  the  government 


* St.  Math.  xvi.  4. 


f St.  Math.  xix.  6. 


124 


M.  BADIN 


every  Sunday,  and  even  every  day  : we  Catholics 
do  not  pray  by  proclamation  only.  But,  massa, 
why  are  not  you  at  church,  praying  for  the  govern- 
ment?55 The  man  rode  on. 

We  must  yet  relate  one  more  anecdote  concern- 
ing a passage  between  a preacher  named  Rogers, 
and  an  ignorant  and  not  very  exemplary  Catholic, 
named  Wimpsatt.  This  man,  a quiet,  silent  sort 
of  a person,  happened  on  one  Sunday,  at  the  house 
of  a Mr.  McAdams,  on  Pottinger’s  Creek,  when 
Rev.  Mr.  Rogers  preached.  After  the  sermon,  the 
man  of  the  house  strongly  pressed  his  Rev.  guest 
to  attempt  the  conversion  of  the  “ignorant  Ro- 
man.??  The  preacher  set  about  the  work  with  great 
zeal,  abusing  the  Pope,  the  priests,  &c.,  most  un- 
mercifully ; Wimpsatt  all  the  while  observing  a 
dogged  silence.  This  circumstance  emboldened 
the  preacher,  who  began  to  catechize  him  in  a tone 
of  triumph,  winking  all  the  time  at  his  host,  who 
was  present.  Among  other  things,  he  asked  W. 
“How  many  Commandments  are  there?57  Wimp- 
satt hesitatingly  answered — “nine”  “Oh,55  quoth 
the  preacher,  “and  that5s  all  your  priests  have 
taught  you!  Only  nine  Commandments?55  “There 
used  to  be  ten,55  quietly  answered  W.,  “but  the 
other  day  your  brother  preacher  Skaggs  ran  away 
with  one  of  them,  the  ninth!”  This  man  Skaggs 
was  married,  and  had  just  run  away  with  a neigh- 
bour’s wife  ! The  laugh  was  now  against  preach- 
er Rogers ; and  the  conversation  dropped. 

Great  and  truly  lamentable  was  the  prejudice 
with  which  Protestants  of  that  day  viewed  every 
thing  Catholic.  It  was  founded,  in  general,  on 
the  grossest  ignorance  of  Catholic  principles — an 
ignorance  which  was  studiously  kept  up  by  the 
preachers,  who,  nevertheless,  were  constantly  de- 
claiming against  the  priests,  for  keeping  their  peo- 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


125 


pie  in  ignorance ! To  dispel  this  ignorance,  and 
to  soften  down  Protestant  prejudice,  M.  Badin 
published  his  Principles  of  Catholics.55  It  was 
printed  in  Bardstown,  in  1805 ; and  was  the  first 
Catholic  work  ever  published  in  the  west.  Like 
every  thing  else  he  wrote,  it  was  solid,  clear,  con- 
densed, pointed,  and  well  written.^  Owing  to  his 
overwhelming  occupations,  and  to  the  scarcity  of 
candles,  M.  Badin  was  compelled  to  write  a portion 
of  it  by  moonlight.  The  tract  was  read  with  avid- 
ity, and  no  doubt  did  much  good. 

The  increase  of  Catholics  in  Kentucky,  and  the 
growing  prospects  of  the  church,  stimulated  the 
zeal  of  the  preachers,  who  often  declaimed  till 
they  were  hoarse,  against  “the  errors  and  abomi- 
nations of  popery.55  M.  Badin  was  more  than 
once  compelled  to  come  in  collision  with  them.  In 
1798,  the  Rev.  Barnabas  McHenry,  a Methodist 
preacher  of  great  power  of  lungs  and  volubility 
of  tongue,  publicly  challenged  him  to  an  oral  dis- 
cussion. The  challenge  was  accepted,  and  the 
parties  met  at  the  house  of  Philip  Davis,  on  Har- 
din’s Creek,  in  presence  of  a large  concourse  of 
people.  After  the  preliminaries  had  been  arrang- 
ed, the  discussion  commenced,  and  lasted  for 
several  hours,  the  two  disputants  speaking  alter- 
nately. 

M.  Badin  had  brought  with  him  four  Bibles, 
in  English,  French,  Latin  and  Greek;  and  he 
opened  the  discussion  by  protesting  his  firm  belief, 
and  that  of  his  church,  in  every  thing  contained 
in  this  inspired  volume.  He  proved  that  it  was  a 
calumny  to  say,  that  the  Catholic  church  is  an  en- 

* A volume  of  considerable  size  might  be  made  up  of  the  va- 
rious writings  of  M.  Badin,  which  are  well  worth  preserving  in 
this  form.  We  have  reason  to  hope  that  something  of  the  kind 
will  be  hereafter  published. 


126 


M.  BADIN 


emy  of  the  Bible,  which  she  carefully  preserved 
for  fifteen  hundred  years,  before  any  of  the  modern 
Protestant  sects  had  ever  been  heard  of.  Mr.  Mc- 
Henry rejoined  with  great  volubility,  declaiming 
in  the  usual  strain  against  the  “abominations  of 
popery,”  but  studiously  avoiding  a direct  answer 
to  M.  Badin’s  pointed  question — “Where  did  you 
get  your  Bible?”  After  repeated  efforts,  M.  Badin 
was  not  able  to  hold  him  to  the  question  ; and  the 
discussion  terminated,  preacher  McHenry  affect- 
ing great  indignation  at  the  manner  in  which  he 
had  been  handled  by  the  priest. 

Mr.  McHenry  refused  to  meet  M.  Badin  a se- 
cond time,  but  sent  a challenge  to  M.  Fournier, 
who  he  thought  was  not  so  well  versed  in  the 
English  language.  M.  Fournier  answered,  “that 
when  he  would  have  done  with  M.  Badin,  he 
would  then  hold  himself  in  readiness ; but  that 
for  the  present  he  declined  to  interfere.”  After 
waiting  some  time,  Mr.  McHenry  was  at  length 
induced  by  his  own  people  to  send  a second  chal- 
lenge to  M.  Badin  ; and  the  parties  again  met  at 
the  same  place.  To  abridge  the  discussion,  and 
to  make  it  have  some  useful  result,  M.  Badin  pro- 
posed that  each  of  the  disputants  should  speak  al- 
ternately for  ten  minutes  only ; and  that  each 
should  adhere  strictly  to  the  matter  in  hand. 
These  terms  were,  with  great  reluctance,  at  length 
acceded  to  by  the  other]  party. 

M.  Badin  opened  the  discussion,  by  proving 
from  the  Bible  the  necessity  of  a regular  mis- 
sion, in  order  lawfully  to  preach  the  Gospel.  He 
then  asked  Mr.  McHenry  for  his  credentials  and 
mission  to  preach,  and  begged  him  not  to  decline 
the  question,  but  to  give  a direct  and  explicit  an- 
swer. The  preacher  replied,  that  he  derived  his 
orders  and  mission  from  Dr.  Coke,  who  had  been 


AGAIN  ALONE# 


127 


ordained  by  John  Wesley ; that  he,  in  his  turn, 
had  been  ordained  by  the  Church  of  England, 
which  latter  church  had  derived  its  orders  from 
the  Church  of  Rome.  After  giving  this  genealo- 
gy of  his  sect,  he  triumphantly  concluded,  that  he 
had  the  same  authority  to  preach  as  M.  Badin 
himself,  having  derived  his  mission  from  the  same 
source ! M.  Badin  rejoined  by  asking  the  follow- 
ing questions: 

“1st.  How  could  an  idolatrous  church,  such  as 
you  say  the  church  of  Rome  was,  constitute  a 
lawful  Christian  ministry?  2nd.  What  authority 
had  the  church  of  England  to  separate  from  that 
of  Rome ; and  how  could  she  still  have  a lawful 
mission,  after  the  separation,  when  the  Roman 
Catholic  Church  had  withdrawn  from  her  all  the 
jurisdiction  which  she  had  originally  bestowed? 
3rd.  How  could  John  Wesley  lawfully  separate 
from  the  Church  of  England,  from  which  he  had 
avowedly  derived  his  orders?  4th.  How  could 
he,  being  a mere  priest — if  that — validly  consecrate 
Dr.  Coke  a bishop,  when  all  antiquity  proclaims, 
that  only  a bishop  can  validly  consecrate  a 
bishop?” 

The  preacher  was  non-plussed ; he  did  not  an- 
swer directly  one  of  these  searching  questions, 
though  M.  Badin  repeated  them  over  and  again, 
and  refused  to  pass  to  other  matters,  till  they  had 
been  satisfactorily  answered.  Mr.  McHenry  at 
length  became  vexed,  and  refused  to  dine  at  Mr. 
Davis’  house  with  M.  Badin,  alleging  that  his 
business  called  him  home  immediately  ! As  he 
was  mounting  his  horse,  M.  Badin  invited  him  to 
pay  him  a visit  occasionally  at  St.  Stephen’s  : the 
preacher  declined,  and  rode  off,  M.  Badin  calling 
after  him,  and  saying,  with  a smile : “Well,  since 


J 


128 


M.  BADIN 


you  will  not  visit  me,  I am  determined  to  visit 
you.”  He  was  not  again  challenged  to  discussion 
by  preacher  McHenry,  or  by  any  other. 

We  will  conclude  this  chapter,  and  with  it  our 
account  of  M.  Badin’s  early  missionary  career,  by 
briefly  relating  another  scene  of  a somewhat  dif- 
ferent character,  which  occurred  some  years  later. 
In  the  year  1812,#  a great  controversy  was  carried 
on  in  the  vicinity  of  Bardstown,  between  the  Bap- 
tists and  the  Presbyterians,  on  the  subject  of 
Baptism.  The  two  principal  champions  were,  the 
Rev.  Mr.  Lapsley,  a Presbyterian,  and  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Yardaman,  a Baptist  minister.  The  latter  was 
a man  of  stentorian  lungs,  and  of  considerable 
popular  eloquence.  He  produced  quite  a sensa- 
tion, and  made  many  converts  from  the  ranks  of  the 
Methodists  and  Presbyterians.  Great  excitement 
prevailed  in  consequence.  While  the  controversy 
was  at  its  highest  point,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Lapsley  hap- 
pened to  meet  with  M.  Badin,  whom  he  immedi- 
ately invited  to  preach  on  the  subject  in  Bards- 
town. M.  Badin  said : “he  was  always  ready  to 
preach  ; but  that  he  must  tell  the  truth,  and  preach 
the  doctrine  of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church.” 

An  appointment  was  accordingly  made,  for  a 
day  in  June  of  that  year,  and  the  sermon  was  to  be 
delivered  in  the  Court-house  of  Bardstown.  M. 
Badin  attended,  on  the  appointed  day,  with  alarge 
supply  of  Bibles  and  ponderous  folio  volumes, 
containing  the  writings  of  the  Fathers,  and  the 
decrees  of  the  Councils.  The  concourse  was  so 
great,  that  it  was  deemed  expedient  to  adjourn  to 
a neighbouring  wood,  where  there  had  been  erect- 

* For  the  truth  of  this  account  we  confidently  appeal,  not  only 
to  M.,Badin?s  statement,  but  to  the  testimony  of  all  the  eye  and 
ear  witnesses  of  the  discussion,  some  of  whom  are  still  living. 
The  affair  created  great  sensation  at  the  time,  and  is  still  well 
remembered. 


AGAIN  ALONE. 


129 


ed  a stand  for  preaching,  which  had  been  used  by 
the  Methodists  at  a recent  camp-meeting.  The 
Rev.  Mr.  Lapsley  was  present,  but  not  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Yardaman. 

M.  Badin,  entrenching  himself  behind  his  for- 
midable battery  of  books,  held  the  vast  multitude 
enchained  for  three  hours,  two  of  which  he  de- 
voted to  the  special  benefit  of  the  Baptists,  and  the 
third,  to  that  of  the  Presbyterians.  His  discourse 
was  very  pointed  and  learned.  When  he  was  in 
the  midst  of  it,  the  rain  set  in,  and  he  proposed  to 
adjourn  the  meeting;  but  so  great  was  the  anxiety 
of  the  people,  to  hear  him,  that  they  shouted  out 
to  him,  to  “continue  on,  for  that  they  did  not  re- 
gard the  rain.” 

M.  Badin  first  proved  infant  Baptism,  and  the 
validity  of  other  modes  besides  immersion,  chiefly 
from  the  ancient  Fathers  and  Councils  ; and  then 
he  proceeded  to  exhibit  and  refute  the  errors  cur- 
rent among  the  Presbyterians  and  Methodists, 
concerning  the  nature  and  effects  of  the  Sacra- 
ment. He  showed  that  these  sects  could  not  satis- 
factorily prove  infant  Baptism,  and  that  by  other 
modes  than  immersion,  from  the  Scriptures  alone — 
their  only  rule  of  faith — and  that  their  only  hope  to 
succeed  in  the  controversy  was,  to  adopt  the  Ca- 
tholic rule  of  Scripture  interpreted  by  tradition 
and  church  authority.  The  last  hour  of  his  pow- 
erful sermon  tended,  in  no  small  degree,  to  throw 
a damper  on  the  triumphant  enthusiasm  which 
the  Methodists  and  Presbyterians  had  manifested 
during  the  first  two  hours.  Still,  all  admired  his 
learning  and  acute  reasoning;  and  his  famous 
sermon  on  Baptism  was  long  remembered  in  this 
vicinity. 

j 2 


CHAPTER  VIII. 


The  Rev . Charles  Nerinckx — His  Early  Life  and 
Labours . — From  1805  to  1811. 


M.  Nerinckx — His  childhood  and  early  history — Curate  at 
Malines — And  at  Everbery  Meerbeke — His  care  of  children — 
Revival  of  piety — His  austerity — Is  persecuted  and  compelled 
to  fly — His  retreat  at  Terremonde — Escapes  to  the  United  States 
— A “floating  hell” — Reaches  Baltimore— Sent  to  Kentucky — 
His  arrival  and  eariy  labours — His  spirit  of  prayer  and  mortifi- 
cation— His  courage  and  zeal — His  cheerfulness  and  kindness 
to  the  poor— His  narrow  escapes  in  crossing  rivers — His  wolf 
adventure — His  adventure  with  Hardin — His  bodily  strength 
and  toils — The  churches  he  built — His  labours  in  the  confession- 
al— A touching  devotion — The  fruits  of  his  zeal — The  secret  of 
his  success — A touching  incident. 

For  more  than  two  years  M.  Badin  had  been 
left  alone,  in  charge  of  the  extensive  and  laborious 
missions  of  Kentucky.  To  his  persevering  zeal 
and  indomitable  energy  of  character,  these  missions 
were,  in  a great  measure,  indebted  under  Provi- 
dence for  their  establishment  and  progress.  And 
he  has  been  justly  styled  by  a venerable  personage, 
“the  founder  of  this  Diocess,  and  of  the  several 
congregations  of  this  immense  region.”# 

Divine  Providence  at  length  took  compassion  on 
the  forlorn  condition  of  M.  Badin,  and  sent  him 
a zealous  and  indefatigable  auxiliary,  who  was  to 

* Letter  from  Bishop  Flaget  to  Bishop  England,  dated  Decem- 
ber, 1824-^published  in  the  Catholic  Miscellany — No.  23. 


REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX,  &C. 


131 


relieve  him  of  a great  portion  of  the  heavy  bur- 
den, which  had  been  long  weighing  him  down, 
and  exhausting  his  energies.  In  the  annals  of 
missionary  life  in  the  west,  few  names  are  brighter 
, than  that  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx.  A na- 
tive of  Belgium,  and,  like  most  of  the  other  early 
Catholic  missionaries  in  the  west,  a victim  of  the 
French  Revolution,  he  arrived  in  Kentucky  in 
the  summer  of  1805  ; and  he  laboured  with  un- 
remitting zeal  in  this  missionary  field,  for  nearly 
twenty  years.  Some  particulars  of  the  early  life 
of  this  illustrious  priest  cannot  but  prove  interest- 
ing ; especially  to  those  in  whose  memories  his 
virtues  are  yet  freshly  embalmed.# 

Charles  Nerinckx  was  born  on  the  2nd  of  Octo- 
ber, 1761,  at  Herffelingen  in  Haynault.  His  pa- 
rents were  distinguished  for  their  virtues  and  their 
strong  attachment  to  religion.  His  father  was 
a physician  of  some  eminence  in  the  profession ; 
and  his  mother  seems  to  have  been  a woman  of 
great  piety.  The  tender  mind  of  Charles  was 
imbued  with  a deep  and  abiding  religious  feeling. 
At  an  early  age,  he  was  placed  in  the  elementary 
school  of  Ninove,  where  he  commenced  his  stu- 
dies. At  the  age  of  thirteen,  he  was  removed  to 
the  College  of  Geel,  in  the  province  of  Kempen; 
whence  he  was  afterwards  sent  to  the  University 
of  Louvain,  where  he  entered  on  the  study  of  phi- 
losophy. His  parents  determined  to  spare  no  ex- 
pense which  might  be  necessary  to  give  him  a 
thorough  education  ; and  they  were  highly  grati- 

* The  biographical  notice  of  M.  Nerinckx,  published  in  the 
London  “Catholic  Miscellany  and  Repository  of  Information" 
for  April  1825,  is  the  basis  for  the  following  sketch,  which  is  a 
recast  of  that  notice,  with  many  additional  details,  drawn  from 
the  recollections  of  some  among  the  oldest  Catholic  settlers  in 
Kentucky,  as  well  as  from  the  statements  of  M.  Badin. 

j 3 


132 


REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX  : 


fied  to  find  that  Charles  corresponded  so  well  with 
their  parental  solicitude,  and  that  he  more  than 
fulfilled  their  highest  expectations. 

Having  completed  his  academic  course,  and 
duly  consulted  God  in  prayer,  the  young  Charles 
resolved  to  study  for  the  church.  Accordingly, 
in  the  year  1 781,  he  was  sent  by  his  parents  to  the 
Seminary  of  Malines,  where  he  entered  on  the 
study  of  Theology.  Here  he  was  still  more  re- 
markable for  tender  and  solid  piety,  than  he  was 
for  the  rapid  advancement  he  made  in  his  studies. 
Though  he  far  outstripped  his  companions,  yet  he 
did  not  permit  himself  to  be  elated  with  his  suc- 
cess. He  referred  all  his  actions  to  God,  to  whom 
he  was  united  by  a habitual  spirit  of  prayer.  He 
concealed  his  success,  even  from  his  own  eyes, 
under  the  garb  of  a deep  internal  humility ; and 
from  those  of  his  companions,  under  the  veil  of  an 
unaffected  modesty.  He  feared  the  praises  of  men 
more  than  others  usually  seek  them. 

His  studies  completed,  he  was  ordained  priest 
in  1785  : and  in  the  following  year  was  appointed 
cure , or  pastor  of  Malines,  the  Archiepiscopal  city. 
He  filled  this  important  post  for  eight  years,  and 
gathered  there  the  abundant  first-fruits  of  his  min- 
istry. The  good  people  of  Malines  yet  remember 
his  piety  and  laborious  zeal,  the  effects  of  which 
they  still  feel.  The  rectory  of  Everbery  Meer- 
beke,  half  way  between  Malines  and  Brussels, 
having  become  vacant  by  the  death  of  the  aged 
incumbent,  M.  Nerinckx  was  appointed  to  fill  it 
by  the  general  suffrage  of  a board  of  examiners, 
who,  after  the  searching  examination,  or  concursus, 
recommended  by  the  Holy  Council  of  Trent,  for 
such  cases,  unanimously  awarded  him  the  palm 
over  all  other  candidates.  Though  loath  to  leave 
Malines,  where  the  people  were  much  attached  to 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS.  133 

him,  yet  he  hesitated  not  to  enter  upon  the  new 
field  of  labour  thus  opened  to  him  by  Providence. 

The  extensive  parish  of  Everbery  Meerbeke 
was  in  a neglected  and  deplorable  condition.  The 
parish  church  was  in  a dilapidated  state,  and  the 
people  had  been  much  neglected,  in  consequence 
of  the  age  and  infirmities  of  his  predecessor  in 
the  pastoral  office.  M.  Nerinckx  immediately  set 
about  remedying  all  these  evils  ; he  repaired  the 
church,  and  was  assiduous  in  his  efforts  to  revive 
piety  among  his  new  parishioners.  Believing  that 
the  hearts  of  the  parents  could  be  most  effectually 
reached  through  their  children,  he  spared  no  pains 
to  instruct  the  latter,  and  to  rear  them  up  in  the 
most  tender  sentiments  of  piety.  He  gave  them 
catechetical  instructions  on  every  Sunday  evening 
after  Vespers.  To  do  this  the  more  successfully, 
he  divided  the  parish  into  sections,  and  distributed 
the  children  into  regular  classes  ; which  he  taught 
himself,  or  through  pious  catechists  whom  he  had 
selected ; and  he  had  the  names  of  all  the  children 
of  his  parish  carefully  registered.  He  soon  won 
the  hearts  of  the  children,  and  was  able  easily  to 
obtain  their  regular  attendance  at  catechism.  He 
frequently  inculcated  on  them  a tender  devotion 
to  the  Holy  Virgin,  and  taught  them  to  sing  canti- 
cles, which  he  had  composed  in  her  honour. 

The  effects  of  this  discipline  were  soon  discern 
able.  The  children  were  prepared  for  their  first 
communion,  and  soon  became  models  of  piety  for 
the  whole  parish.  The  hearts  of  the  parents  were 
touched;  and  the  most  neglectful  or  obdurate 
among  them,  were  gradually  brought  to  a sense 
of  duty.  Piety  was  seen  to  flourish  in  a parish, 
before  distinguished  only  for  its  coldness  and 
negligence.  Numerous  pious  confraternities  in 
honour  of  the  Blessed  Virgin  were  established,  as 


134  REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX  .' 

well  as  associations  for  visiting  the  sick,  and  for 
other  charitable  objects.  Thus,  by  the  zeal  of 
one  man,  aided  by  the  Divine  blessing,  a total  re- 
formation was  effected  in  a short  time ; and  the 
parish  of  Everbery  Meerbeke  became  a model  for 
all  others. 

M.  Nerinckx,  though  kind  and  polite  to  all,  was 
rather  austere  in  his  manners,  as  well  as  rigid  in 
his  discipline.  He  was,  however,  always  much 
more  rigid  with  himself  than  with  others.  He 
never  lost  a moment,  nor  allowed  himself  any  re- 
creation. He  paid  no  idle  visits  for  mere  pastime: 
he  visited  the  different  families  of  his  parish  only 
on  duty,  and  generally  on  Sunday  evenings.  He 
knew  well  that  a priest  who  does  his  duty  has 
little  time  to  spare  for  idle  conversation.  When- 
ever good  was  to  be  done,  or  a soul  to  be  saved, 
there  was  he  found,  by  day  or  by  night,  in  rain 
or  in  sunshine,  in  winter  or  in  summer.  When 
not  actually  engaged  in  the  ministry,  he  was  al- 
ways found  at  home,  employed  in  prayer  or  in 
study.  He  was  an  enemy  of  promiscuous  dances, 
and  he  succeeded  in  abolishing  them  throughout 
his  parish. 

It  was  natural  that  a man  of  so  much  zeal,  and 
one  who  had  done  so  much  good,  should  be  view- 
ed with  an  evil  eye  by  the  infidel  leaders  of  the 
French  revolutionary  movement,  who  had  recent- 
ly taken  possession  of  Belgium.  An  order  for  his 
apprehension  was  accordingly  issued;  and  M. 
Nerinckx  was  compelled  to  fly  from  his  dear  par- 
ish, which  he  left  a prey  to  the  devouring  wolves. 
In  1797  he  secreted  himself  in  the  hospital  at  Ter- 
remonde,  which  was  under  the  charge  of  twelve 
or  fifteen  hospitalier  nuns,  of  whom  his  aunt  was 
superioress.  Here  he  remained  for  seven  years, 
during  all  of  which  time  he  carried  his  life  in  his 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS,  135 

hands.  He  acted  as  chaplain  to  the  hospital,  the 
former  incumbent  having  been  banished  to  the 
Isle  of  Rhe.  He  bore  his  persecutions  with  en- 
tire resignation  to  the  holy  will  of  God,  and  edi- 
fied all  by  the  practice  of  every  virtue.  He  en- 
couraged the  good  nuns  to  persevere  in  their 
heavenly  calling  of  mercy.  He  said  Mass  for 
them  every  morning  at  2 o’clock,  and  then  retired 
to  his  hiding  place  before  the  dawn. 

In  this  retreat  he  had  full  leisure  to  apply  to 
study,  and  he  lost  not  a moment  of  his  precious 
time.  He  wrote  Treatises  on  Theology,  on  Church 
History,  and  on  Canon  Law ; and  his  manuscripts 
would  have  filled  eight  or  ten  printed  octavo  vo- 
lumes. These  he  was  often  afterwards  solicited 
to  publish ; but  his  modesty  took  the  alarm,  and 
he  was  inflexible  in  his  refusal.  In  the  hospital 
were  shut  up  many  of  the  prisoners  who  had  been 
made  in  the  revolutionary  battles  fought  in  Belgi- 
um. Some  of  these  were  horribly  maimed.  M. 
Nerinckx  did  all  he  could,  in  his  dangerous  situa- 
tion, to  assuage  their  sufferings  and  to  impart  to 
them  spiritual  succour.  At  the  dead  hour  of  night, 
he  often  stole  to  their  cells,  at  imminent  hazard  of 
his  life,  and  administered  to  them  the  holy  Sacra- 
ments : and  when  they  were  hurried  to  execu- 
tion, he  viewed  them  from  his  hiding  place  and 
imparted  to  them  the  last  absolution^  Often,  too, 
he  visited  by  stealth  his  dear  parish  of  Everbery 
Meerbeke,  administering  the  Sacraments  to  his 
people,  consoling  them  in  their  sufferings,  and 
strengthening  them  in  the  hour  of  danger. 

* One  of  these  poor  prisoners,  while  going  to  execution,  was 
observed  to  hold  in  one  hand — the  maimed  stump  of  the  other, 
which  had  been  cut  off  by  the  Jacobins! 


136 


REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX  t 


Beset  with  dangers,  and  uncertain  as  to  the  du- 
ration of  the  dreadful  storm  which  was  then 
sweeping  over  Europe,  M.  Nerinckx  at  length  de- 
termined to  bid  adieu  to  his  unhappy  country,  and 
to  emigrate  to  the  United  States.  Here  “the  har- 
vest was  great,  and  the  labourers  few;”  and  no 
impediment  was  placed  in  the  way  of  a free  exer- 
cise of  religion,  according  to  each  one’s  conscien- 
tious convictions.  He  accordingly  made  his  es- 
cape, in  a vessel  which  sailed  from  Amsterdam  to 
the  United  States,  on  the  14th  of  August,  1804, 

He  had  a long  and  dangerous  passage  of  ninety 
days.  The  old  and  ricketty  vessel  was  often  in 
imminent  danger  of  foundering  at  sea;  and  to  add 
to  the  distress,  a contagious  disorder  carried  off 
many  of  the  passengers  and  crew.  Still  they  were 
not  chastened  under  the  rod  of  affliction ; the 
heart  of  M.  Nerinckx  often  bled  over  their  wicked- 
ness, which  he  was  wholly  unable  to  check ; and 
he  afterwards  was  in  the  habit  of  styling  this  ill- 
fated  ship,  “a  floating  hell.”  The  Captain,  in 
particular,  was  a very  profane  and  wicked  man. 
M.  Nerinckx  was  wont  to  ascribe  his  preservation 
from  shipwreck,  to  a special  interposition  of  Divine 
Providence. 

He  reached  Baltimore  about  the  middle  of  No- 
vember, and  immediately  offered  his  services  to 
the  Patriarch  of  the  American  church — Bishop 
Carroll, — for  whatever  mission  in  the  United 
States  he  might  think  proper  to  assign  him.  Bish- 
op Carroll  received  the  good  exile  with  open  arms, 
and  immediately  sent  him  to  Georgetown  to  pre- 
pare himself  for  the  American  mission,  by  learn- 
ing English,  with  which,  as  yet,  he  was  wholly 
unacquainted.  M.  Nerinckx  was  then  in  his  45th 
year;  and  yet  he  applied  himself  with  so  much 
ardour  to  the  study  of  the  English  language,  as 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS. 


137 


to  be  able  in  a few  months  to  speak  and  write  it 
with  considerable  facility. 

Bishop  Carroll  was  well  aware  of  the  forlorn 
condition  of  M.  Badin,  who  was  alone  in  Ken- 
tucky ; and  he  determined  to  send  the  new  mis- 
sionary to  his  assistance.  And  had  he  sent  us  no 
other,  Kentucky  would  still  have  ample  reason  to 
be  forever  grateful  to  him  for  the  invaluable  trea- 
sure he  sent  in  M.  Nerinckx. 

The  good  missionary  hesitated  not  a moment  to 
comply  with  the  wish  of  his  new  superior.  What 
cared  he  for  the  dangers,  privations,  and  labours 
which  he  foresaw  he  would  have  to  endure  on  the 
arduous  mission  to  which  he  was  hastening? 
Had  he  not  been  already  trained  to  this  severe 
discipline  of  the  cross ; and  had  he  come  to  Ameri- 
ca to  rest  on  a bed  of  down,  and  to  dally  with 
luxuries?  From  an  early  period  of  his  life,  labours 
and  sufferings  had  been  his  daily  bread ; and  now 
he  was  too  much  accustomed  to  them  any  longer 
to  feel  any  apprehension  on  their  account.  He 
was,  on  the  contrary,  rejoiced  to  enter  on  a mission 
which  no  one  else  wished,  or  was  indeed  willing 
to  accept.# 

He  left  Baltimore  in  the  spring  of  1805 ; and, 
after  a long  and  painful  journey,  reached  Ken- 
tucky on  the  5th  of  July  following.  He  immedi- 
ately applied  himself  zealously  to  the  labours  of 
the  mission,  which  he  cheerfully  shared  with  M. 
Badin,  the  Vicar  General.  For  the  first  seven 
years  he  resided  with  M.  Badin,  at  St.  Stephen’s  ; 
afterwards,  he  took  up  his  residence  chiefly  near 

* This  additional  circumstance  we  learned  from  M.  Badin,  to 
whom  we  are  also  indebted  for  some  other  details  in  the  sequel, 
superadded  to  what  is  stated  in  the  notice  above  referred  to.  See 
also  brief  statement  of  the  missions  of  Kentucky  in  the  “An- 
nales" — sup.  ciu 


138  REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX  : 

the  church  of  St.  Charles,  which  he  had  erected 
on  Hardin’s  Creek,  and  named  after  his  patron 
Saint.  But  he  was  seldom  at  home:  he  lived  on 
his  scattered  missions,  and  passed  much  of  his 
time  on  horseback. 

His  labours  in  the  arduous  field  upon  which  he 
had  now  entered  were  as  great  as  their  fruit  was 
abundant.  With  his  whole  soul,  he  devoted  him- 
self to  the  work  of  the  ministry.  He  even  seem- 
ed to  court  labours  and  sufferings  for  their  own 
sake.  Of  a powerful  frame,  and  of  herculean  con- 
stitution, he  never  spared  himself.  His  rest  was 
brief,  and  his  food  was  generally  of  the  coarsest 
kind.  He  generally  arose  several  hours  before  day, 
which  hours  he  devoted  to  prayer  and  study.  In 
fact,  he  seemed  to  be  always  engaged  in  mental 
prayer,  no  matter  how  numerous  or  distracting 
were  his  employments. 

He  appeared  to  live  solely  for  God,  and  for  his 
neighbour.  Performing  his  duty  was  his  daily 
bread.  And  though  old  age  was  fast  creeping 
over  him,  yet  he  relaxed  in  nothing  his  exhausting 
labours.  His  soul  was  still  fresh  and  vigorous ; 
and  God  so  preserved  his  health,  that,  even  at  the 
age  of  sixty,  he  seemed  gifted  with  all  the  strength 
and  vigour  of  youth. 

He  seldom  missed  offering  up  the  Holy  Sacri- 
fice daily,  no  matter  what  had  been  his  previous 
fatigues  or  indisposition.  Often  was  he  known  to 
ride  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles  fasting,  in  order  to 
be  able  to  say  Mass.  His  missionary  labours 
would  be  almost  incredible,  were  they  not  still  so 
well  remembered  by  almost  all  the  older  Catholics 
of  Kentucky. 

His  courage  was  unequalled : he  feared  no 
difficulties,  and  was  appalled  by  no  dangers. 
Through  rain  and  storms ; through  snows  and 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS. 


139 


ice ; over  roads  rendered  almost  impassable  by 
the  mud ; over  streams  swollen  by  the  rains,  or 
frozen  by  the  cold  ; by  day  and  by  night,  in  win- 
ter and  in  summer;  he  might  be  seen  traversing 
all  parts  of  Kentucky  in  the  discharge  of  his  la- 
borious duties.  Far  from  shunning,  he  seemed 
even  to  seek  after  hardships  and  dangers. 

He  crossed  wilderness  districts,  swam  rivers, 
slept  in  the  woods  among  the  wild  beasts  and 
while  undergoing  all  this,  he  was  in  the  habit  of 
fasting,  and  of  voluntarily  mortifying  himself  in 
many  other  ways.  His  courage  and  vigour  seem- 
ed to  increase  with  the  labours  and  privations  he 
had  to  endure.  As  his  courage,  so  neither  did  his 
cheerfulness,  ever  abandon  him.  He  seldom 
laughed,  or  even  smiled  ; but  there  was  withal  an 
air  of  contentment  and  cheerfulness  about  him 
which  greatly  qualified  the  natural  austerity  of 
his  countenance  and  manners.  He  could,  like 
the  great  Apostle,  make  himself  “all  to  all,  to  gain 
all  to  Christ.5’  He  appeared  even  more  at  home 
in  the  cabin  of  the  humblest  citizen,  or  in  the  hut 
of  the  poor  negro,  than  in  the  more  pretending 
mansions  of  the  wealthy. 

He  was  averse  to  giving  trouble  to  others,  es- 
pecially to  the  poor.  Often,  when  he  arrived  at  a 
house  in  the  night,  he  attended  to  his  own  horse, 
and  took  a brief  repose  in  the  stable,  or  in  some 
out-house  ; and  when  the  inmates  of  the  house 
arose  next  morning,  they  frequently  perceived  him 
already  up,  and  saying  his  office,  or  making  his 

* Sometimes  when  he  was  asked  by  those  at  whose  house  he 
had  arrived  in  the  morning — “where  he  had  slept  on  the  pre- 
vious night?” — he  would  answer  cheerfully:  “with  Captain  Dog- 
wood”— the  name  of  a tree  abounding  in  the  woods  of  Ken- 
tucky. 


140 


REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX  : 


meditation.*  He  made  it  an  invariable  rule  never 
to  miss  an  appointment  whenever  it  was  at  all 
possible  to  keep  it.  He  often  arrived  at  a distant 
station  early  in  the  morning,  after  having  rode 
during  all  of  the  previous  night.  On  these  occa- 
sions, he  heard  confessions,  taught  catechism,  gave 
instructions,  and  said  Mass  for^the  people  general- 
ly after  noon ; and  he  seldom  broke  his  fast  until 
three  or  four  o’clock  in  the  evening. 

In  swimming  rivers,  he  was  often  exposed  to 
great  danger.  Once,  in  going  to  visit  a sick  per- 
son, he  came  to  a stream  which  his  companion 
knew  to  be  impassable.  M.  Nerinckx  took  the 
saddle  of  his  friend — who  refused  to  venture — 
placed  it  on  his  own,  and  then  remounting  the 
horse,  placed  himself  on  his  knees  on  the  top  of 
the  two  saddles,  and  thus  crossed  the  flood  which 
flowed  over  his  horse’s  back.  On  another  occa- 
sion, he  made  a still  more  narrow  escape.  He 
was  swept  from  his  horse,  which  lost  its  footing 
and  was  carried  away  by  the  current ; and  the 
rider  barely  saved  himself,  and  reached  the  other 
shore,  by  clinging  firmly  to  the  horse’s  tail. 

On  one  of  his  missionary  tours,  he  narrowly 
escaped  being  devoured  by  the  wolves,  which  then 
greatly  infested  those  portions  of  Kentucky  which 
were  not  densely  settled.  While  travelling  to 
visit  a distant  station,  in  what  is  now  Grayson 
county,  but  what  was  then  almost  an  unreclaimed 
wilderness, f he  lost  his  way  in  the  night.  It 
was  the  dead  of  winter,  and  the  darkness  was  so 
great,  that  he  could  not  hope  to  extricate  himself 
from  his  painful  situation.  Meantime,  while  he 
was  seeking  a sheltered  place,  where  he  could  take 

♦ This  often  occurred,  especially  at  the  station  on  Clear  creek, 
Haidin  county. 

t And  what  is  now  little  better. 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS.  141 

some  repose,  the  famished  wolves  scented  him, 
and  came  in  hundreds,  fiercely  howling  around 
him.  With  great  presence  of  mind,  he  immedi- 
ately remounted  his  horse,  knowing  that  they 
would  scarcely  attack  him  while  on  horseback. 
He  hallooed  at  the  top  of  his  voice,  and  tempora- 
rily frightened  them  off ; but  soon  they  returned 
to  the  charge,  and  kept  him  at  bay  during  the 
whole  night.  Once  or  twice  they  seemed  on  the 
point  of  seizing  his  horse,  and  M.  Nerinckxmade 
the  sign  of  the  cross  and  prepared  himself  for 
death : but  a mysterious  Providence  watched  over 
him ; and  he  escaped  after  sitting  his  horse  the 
whole  night.#  With  the  dawn,  the  wolves  dis- 
appeared. 

As  we  have  said,  he  was  a man  of  powerful 
frame  and  herculean  strength.  A proof  of  this 
will  be  presented  in  the  following  singular  adven- 
ture, which  is  well  known  to  all  the  older  Catho- 
lics of  Kentucky. 

He  was  in  the  habit  of  rigidly  enforcing  order 
in  the  church,  during  the  celebration  of  the  divine 
mysteries.  Protestants,  and  persons  of  no  reli- 
gion, often  attended  church,  led  thither  chiefly  by 
curiosity.  These  sometimes  did  not  conform  to 
the  rules  of  propriety : and  M.  Nerinckx,  who 
was  little  swayed  by  human  respect,  was  not  slow 
to  admonish  them  of  their  faults  in  this  particular. 
As  he  was  not  very  well  versed  in  the  English 
language,  and  was  by  nature  father  plain  and 
frank,  his  admonitions  were  not  always  well  un- 
derstood, or  well  received.  Once,  especially,  a 
man  by  the  name  of  Hardin — a youth  of  powerful 
frame  and  strength,  and  somewhat  of  a bully — 

* This  adventure  we  learned  from  an  aged  citizen  of  Grayson 
county. 


142 


REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX  : 


took  great  offence  at  something  which  M.  Nerinckx 
had  said,  and  which  it  seems  he  had  entirely  mis- 
understood. He  openly  declared  that  he  would 
be  avenged  on  the  priest,  the  first  time  that  he 
would  meet  him  alone. 

An  opportunity  soon  occurred.  M.  Nerinckx 
was  going  to  the  church  of  St.  Charles,  from  St. 
Stephen’s,  when  Hardin  waylaid  him  on  the  road. 
Springing  from  his  hiding  place,  he  seized  the  bri- 
dle reins  of  M.  Nerinckx’s  horse,  and  bid  him 
stop,  “for  that  he  intended  to  give  him  a sound 
drubbing.”  At  the  same  time,  he  cut  one  of  the 
stirrup  leathers,  and  ordered  the  rider  to  dismount; 
an  order  which  was  promptly  complied  with.  M. 
Nerinckx  remonstrated  with  him ; told  him  that 
he  had  meant  in  nowise  to  offend  or  injure  him; 
and  that  his  profession  Avholly  forbade  him  to 
wrangle  or  fight.  Hardin,  however, persisted,  and 
was  in  the  act  of  striking  the  priest,  when  the  lat- 
ter took  hold  of  him,  and  quietly  laid  him  on  the 
ground,  as  though  he  had  been  the  merest  child; 
observing  to  him,  meantime,  with  a smile,  “that  he 
would  neither  strike  or  injure  him,  but  that  he 
felt  authorized  to  see  that  himself  received  no  in- 
jury at  his  hands.”  In  this  position  he  held  him 
motionless  on  his  back,  until  he  had  obtained 
from  him  a promise,  that  no  farther  attempt  should 
be  made  on  his  person. 

After  this  rencounter,  M.  Nerinckx  quietly  re- 
mounted his  horse,  and  proceeded  on  his  journey ; 
Hardin  as  quietly  moving  off  in  the  other  direc- 
tion. On  arriving  at  the  church,  one  of  his  friends 
asked  M.  Nerinckx,  “how  it  had  happened  that 
his  stirrup  leather  had  been  cut?”  He  replied,  by 
simply  stating  the  adventure  in  few  words  ; and 
observing,  with  a smile,  “that  these  young  buck- 
skins could  not  handle  a Dutchman  !”  After  this 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS. 


143 


he  never  was  heard  to  speak  of  the  affair ; but 
Hardin  was  wont  to  say  to  his  friends,  “he  had 
often  thought  before,  that  he  had  handled  men  ; 
but  that  he  really  never  had  hold  of  one,  before  he 
met  priest  Nerinckx,  who,  he  verily  believed,  had 
something  supernatural  about  him.”# 

M.  Nerinckx  often  manifested  his  great  bodily 
strength  in  the  course  of  his  laborious  life.  He 
erected  no  less  than  ten  churches  in  Kentucky ; 
two  of  which — those  of  Holy  Cross  and  of  Leba- 
non— were  of  brick  ; and  the  rest  of  hewed  logs. 
He  was  not  content  with  directing  the  labours  of 
others : he  was  seen  intermixing  with  the  work- 
men, aiding  them  in  cutting  timber,  in  clearing 
out  the  undergrowth,  and  in  every  other  species 
of  hard  labour.  He  generally  worked  bareheaded 
under  the  broiling  sun : and,  in  removing  heavy 
timber,  or  as  it  is  commonly  called,  rolling  logs , he 
usually  lifted  against  two  or  three  men  of  ordinary 
strength!  He  built  his  own  house,  chiefly  with 
his  own  hands  ; and  was  wont  to  say  cheerfully, 
“that  his  palace  had  cost  him  just  $6  50  in 
money !” 

He  had  charge  of  six  large  congregations,  be- 
sides a much  greater  number  of  stations,  scattered 
over  the  whole  extent  of  Kentucky.  Wherever 
he  could  learn  that  there  were  a few  Catholic  set- 
tlers, there  he  established  a station,  or  erected  a 
church.  The  labour  which  he  thus  voluntarily 
took  on  himself,  is  almost  incredible.  To  visit  all 
his  churches  and  stations  generally  required  the 
space  of  at  least  six  weeks. 

* We  have  followed  the  version  of  the  adventure  given  by  the 
late  Vincent  Gates,  the  pious  attendant  and  almost  indivisible 
companion  of  M.  Nerinckx;  and  for  it  we  are  indebted  to  a 
nephew  of  Mr.  Gates.  We  mention  this,  because  the  occur- 
rence has  been  related  in  different  ways. 


144 


REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX: 


He  never  took  any  rest  or  recreation.  He  seem- 
ed always  most  happy,  when  most  busily  engaged. 
He  seldom  talked,  except  on  business,  or  on  God, 
on  virtue,  or  on  his  missionary  duties.  On  reach- 
ing a church  or  station,  his  confessional  was 
usually  thronged  by  penitents,  from  the  early  dawn 
until  mid-day.  Before  beginning  to  hear  confes- 
sions, he  usually  said  some  prayers  with  the  peo- 
ple, and  then  gave  them  a solid  and  familiar  instruc- 
tion on  the  manner  of  approaching  the  holy  tribunal. 
If  he  seemed  austere  out  of  the  confessional,  he 
was  in  it  a most  kind,  patient,  and  tender  father. 
He  spared  no  time  nor  pains  to  instruct  his  penit- 
ents, all  of  whom,  without  one  exception,  were 
deeply  attached  to  him.  To  his  instructions  chief- 
ly in  the  confessional,  are  we  to  ascribe  the  piety 
and  regularity  of  many  among  the  living  Catho- 
lics in  Kentucky. 

But  it  was  on  the  children  and  servants  that  he 
lavished  his  labour  with  the  greatest  relish. 
Thoroughly  to  instruct  them,  and  prepare  them 
for  their  first  communion,  was  his  darling  employ- 
ment. He  thought  no  time  nor  labour,  that  was 
devoted  to  this  favourite  object  of  his  heart,  too 
long  or  ill-spent.  For  this  purpose,  he  usually 
remained  a week  at  each  of  the  churches  and 
stations.  During  this  time,  he  had  the  children 
and  servants  daily  assembled,  and  devoted  his 
whole  time  to  them.  He  thus  renewed  in  Ken- 
tucky the  edifying  scenes  which  had  been  witness- 
ed in  his  former  parish  of  Everbery  Meerbeke,  in 
Belgium.  The  children  were  much  attached  to 
him ; and  he  possessed  a peculiar  tact  in  winning 
their  hearts,  and  stimulating  them  to  learn  their 
catechism,  and  to  be  virtuous.  He  distributed 
them  in  regular  classes,  and  awarded  premiums  to 
the  most  deserving.  Thus  he  laid,  broad  and 


HIS  EARLY  LIFE  AND  LABOURS.  145 

deep,  the  foundations  of  Catholic  piety  in  Ken- 
tucky. 

In  Kentucky,  also,  as  in  Belgium,  he  sought  to 
inculcate  a tender  devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin. 
The  first  church  which  he  erected  he  dedicated 
to  God  under  her  invocation,  and  called  it  Holy 
Mary’s,  after  her.  His  churches  were  generally 
built  in  the  form  of  a Cross : the  two  arms  of 
which,  with  one  half  of  the  body,  were  occupied 
respectively  by  the  men  and  women,  who  were 
always  kept  separate. 

After  Mass,  he  was  in  the  habit  of  practising  a 
devotion,  as  beautiful  as  it  was  touching  and  im- 
pressive. He  went  to  the  centre  of  the  church, 
where,  surrounded  by  the  little  children,  who  so 
dearly  loved  him,  he  knelt  down,  and,  with  his 
arms  extended  in  the  form  of  a cross,— the  chil- 
dren raising  also  their  little  arms  in  the  same  man- 
ner— he  recited  prayers  in  honour  of  the  five 
blessed  wounds  of  our  Divine  Saviour.  The  pa- 
rents often  joined  the  children  in  this  moving  de- 
votion. After  this,  he  led  his  little  congregation, 
composed  chiefly  of  children,  into  the  adjoining 
graveyard,  where  he  caused  them  to  visit  and  pray 
over  the  graves  of  their  deceased  relatives  and 
friends. 

God  blessed  his  labours  with  fruits  so  abundant 
and  permanent,  as  to  console  him  for  all  his  toils 
and  privations.  He  witnessed  a flourishing  church 
growing  up  around  him,  in  what  had  recently 
been  a wilderness,  inhabited  only  by  fierce  wild 
beasts  and  untameable  savages.  He  saw,  in  the 
virtues  of  his  scattered  flock,  a revival  of  those 
which  had  rendered  so  illustrious  the  Christians 
of  the  first  ages  of  the  church.  M.  Badin  had 
laid  the  foundation;  and,  like  a skillful  architect, 
he  reared  the  superstructure,  in  that  portion  of  the 
K 


146  REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX: 

flock  entrusted  to  his  charge.  The  results  of  his 
labours  prove  how  much  one  good  man,  with  the 
blessing  of  God,  can  achieve  by  his  single  efforts, 
prompted  by  the  lofty  motive  of  the  Divine  glory, 
and  directed  with  simplicity  of  heart  to  one  no- 
ble end. 

Yet,  though  learned  and  of  solid  judgment,  he 
was  not  remarkable  for  brilliancy  of  talent,  for  en- 
gaging address,  or  for  pulpit  eloquence.  His  dis- 
courses were  plain,  matter  of  fact,  instructions, 
delivered  in  broken  English,  and  with  little  rheto- 
rical ornament.  He  was,  on  the  whole,  rather  a 
tiresome  and  disagreeable  speaker;  yet  was  he 
listened  to  with  great  attention,  and  his  words 
sunk  deeply  into  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 

The  whole  experience  of  the  church  has  proved, 
that  however  valuable  mere  human  eloquence 
may  be,  and  however  efficient  for  the  conversion 
of  men,  it  is  still  utterly  powerless,  when  unat- 
tended with  a special  grace  in  the  preacher,  which 
enables  him  to  reach  the  hearts  of  his  hearers. 
The  history  of  the  church  in  all  ages  has  proved 
the  truth  of  the  Psalmist’s  declaration : “Unless 
God  build  the  house,  in  vain  doth  he  labour  who 
buildeth  it.”  “Paul  may  plant;  Apollo  may 
water : but  God  giveth  the  increase.”  Men  of  the 
least  reputation  for  popular  eloquence,  have  often 
effected  the  greatest  amount  of  good.  Jealous  of 
his  glory’s  being  shared  with  men,  God  often  does 
the  most  by  the  feeblest  instruments.  And  it  is 
on  this  principle,  that  twelve  unlettered  fishermen 
converted  the  world — confounding  the  philoso- 
phers, confuting  the  rhetoricians,  and  silencing 
the  oracles  of  paganism. 

We  would  not  be  understood  as  intending,  by 
this  digression,  to  disparage  mere  human  learning 
or  eloquence.  Both  are  highly  useful,  and  even, 


HIS  EARLY  LIJFE  AND  LABOURS.  147 

to  some  extent,  necessary,  especially  in  our  en- 
lightened (!)  day.  But  we  have  meant  to  imply, 
that  mere  human  gifts,  however  great  or  useful, 
are  only  subordinate  to  gifts  of  a higher  kind. 
Men  are  not  to  be  converted  merely  “by  the  per- 
suasive words  of  human  wisdom but  by  invok- 
ing the  divine  blessing  through  constant  prayer, 
and  by  preaching,  with  simplicity,  and  in  union 
with  God,  “Christ,  and  Him  crucified.”  This  did 
the  good  M.  Nerinckx ; and  this  is  the  true  secret 
of  his  great  and  astonishing  success  in  the  holy 
ministry. 

We  shall  have  occasion  in  the  sequel  to  recur  to 
the  subject  of  M.  Nerinckx’s  missionary  career  in 
Kentucky.  Then  will  we  more  appropriately 
speak  of  his  establishments,  which  were  founded 
after  the  arrival  of  the  Bishop  in  Kentucky.  We 
will  close  the  present  chapter,  already  long  enough, 
by  relating  one  more  incident  in  the  life  of  this 
good  missionary. 

The  Catholics  were  so  much  dispersed,  that  he 
was  often  called  to  a distance  of  fifty  and  even  a 
hundred  miles,  to  visit  the  sick.  On  one  occasion, 
he  was  called  to  see  a Mr.  Keith,  who  lived  in 
Bourbon  county,  eighty  miles  off.  The  messen- 
ger arrived  at  the  residence  of  M.  Nerinckx  early 
in  the  morning ; and  stated  that  he  had  left  the 
sick  man  in  a dying  condition.  M.  Nerinckx  lost 
not  a moment.  At  five  o’clock  in  the  morning, 
he  mounted  his  famous  horse,  u Printer and 
after  riding  during  the  whole  ensuing  night,  reach- 
ed the  house  of  Mr.  Keith,  at  six  o’clock  the  next 
morning. 

The  poor  man  was  already  dead.  He  had  just 
breathed  his  last.  Ardently  had  he  desired  the 
succours  of  religion  in  his  last  struggle ; repeated- 
ly had  he  asked,  “whether  the  priest  was  coming?” 
k 2 


148  REV.  CHARLES  NERINCKX,  &C. 

In  his  anxiety,  he  had  dragged  himself  to  the 
door  of  his  cabin,  to  direct  his  straining  eyes,  now 
almost  set  in  death,  in  the  direction  in  which  he 
expected  the  minister  of  God  to  approach ! 

M.  Nerinckx  remained  for  some  time  with  the 
afflicted  family  of  the  deceased,  comforting  them 
with  the  assurance  that  God  had  no  doubt  merci- 
fully accepted  the  will  for  the  deed  in  the  deceas- 
ed. He  prayed  with  them  over  his  remains,  which 
he  followed  to  their  last  resting  place.  He  took 
occasion  from  the  manner  of  his  death  to  make  a 
deep  impression  on  the  minds  and  hearts  of  the 
living,  whom  he  exhorted  “to  be  always  ready,  for 
they  knew  not  the  day  nor  the  hour,”  when  death 
might  surprise  them.  After  thus  doing  all  the 
good  he  could  accomplish,  he  returned,  deeply  af- 
fected by  the  scene  he  had  witnessed. 


CHAPTER  IX. 


The  Dominicans  in  Kentucky. m — From  1805 
to  1824. 


Early  missionary  labours  of  the  Dominican  Order — The  Eng- 
lish Dominicans — College  at  Bornheim — Departure  for  Ameri- 
ca— Arrival  m Kentucky — Founding  of  St.  Rose — The  new  no- 
viciate— Bishop  Concannon — Father  Wilson’s  learning,  virtues, 
labours  and  death — Father  Edward  Fenwick — His  zeal  and  la- 
bours— “Stray  Sheep” — Humorous  adventure  with  an  old  lady — 
His  missionary  labours  in  Ohio — Founding  of  St.  Joseph’s, 
Somerset — Nominated  first  Bishop  of  Cincinnati — His  success 
and  death — The  missionary  labours  of  the  Dominicans  in  Ken- 
tucky— Father  Willet — College  of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas — Mon- 
astery of  St.  Magdalen’s. 

The  white  mantle  of  St.  Dominic  had  appear- 
ed in  the  midst  of  many  a dreary  wilderness, 
which  it  had  been  the  means  of  converting  into  a 
blooming  garden  of  Christian  civilization.  Clad 
in  this  emblem  of  purity,  the  sons  of  St.  Dominic 
had  tamed  the  fierceness  of  the  savage,  had  en- 
lightened his  understanding,  and  had  moved  his 
heart  to  embrace  the  religion  of  Christ. 

* We  regret  that  we  are  not  able  to  give  a fuller  history  of 
this  distinguished  Order  in  the  west.  The  Dominicans  in  Ken- 
tucky did  much  and  wrote  little  : and  we  have  been  able  to  find 
no  documents  wherewith  to  compose  a full  history  of  their  la- 
bours in  our  Diocess.  The  facts,  however,  which  we  will  give 
may  be  relied  on  : they  are  based  on  notes  kindly  furnished  us 
by  one  of  the  oldest  and  most  distinguished  living  members  of 
the  order. 


150 


THE  DOMINICANS 


From  the  thirteenth  to  the  sixteenth  century, 
they  were  among  the  chief  pioneers  of  Christian 
civilization.  Wherever  nations  or  tribes  were  to  be 
converted  to  Christianity,  there  were  they  to  be 
found,  ready  to  make  every  sacrifice,  to  endure 
every  privation,  and  to  peril  life  itself  to  insure 
triumph  to  the  Cross.  Their  blood  has  been  pour- 
ed out  like  water,  in  every  quarter  of  the  globe, 
and  among  almost  all  the  tribes  of  the  earth.  In 
the  heart  of  Asia,  and  amid  the  burning  sands  of 
Africa — on  the  banks  of  the  Euxine  and  the  Cas- 
pian Seas — along  the  waters  of  the  Nile,  the  Eu- 
phrates, and  the  Ganges,  might  they  be  found,  far 
away  from  their  brethren,  toiling,  and  labouring, 
and  dying  for  the  propagation  of  the  faith.# 

On  the  first  discovery  of  America,  we  find  them 
accompanying  every  expedition  of  exploration  and 
conquest,  mitigating  the  horrors  of  invasion,  and 
erecting  the  Cross  by  the  side  of  the  banner  of 
earthly  conquest.  The  names  of  Olmedo,  and  of 
Las  Casas — not  to  mention  a hundred  others  al- 
most equally  illustrious — shine  conspicuous  in  the 
annals  of  Spanish  conquest  in  America : amidst 
the  gloomy  horrors  of  war,  they  brightly  gleam, 
like  stars  in  a dark  night  !f 

It  was  in  the  plan  of  Divine  Providence,  that 
our  infant  missions  should  be  blessed  with  a 
branch  of  this  illustrious  Order.  For  their  estab- 
lishment in  Kentucky,  as  well  as  for  most  of  our 
other  early  missionaries,  we  are  indebted  to  the 
horrors  of  the  French  Revolution — Providence 
thus  drawing  good  out  of  evil,  as  the  bee  extracts 
honey  from  the  bitterest  flowers.  In  every  age  of 

* For  facts  under  this  head,  see  Becchetti’s  Church  History — a 
continuation  of  that  by  Cardinal  Orsi — passim. 

t See  Prescott,  Robertson,  and  other  historians  of  the  Spanish 
Conquest. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


151 


the  church,  persecution  has  been  thus  instrumen- 
tal in  disseminating  the  Gospel,  even  as  the  storm 
scatters  the  seeds  of  the  plants  over  the  surface 
of  the  earth. 

In  consequence  of  the  bitter  and  long  continued 
persecution  of  the  Catholics  in  England,  the  Eng- 
lish Dominicans,  like  their  other  clerical  brethren, 
in  England,  were  compelled  to  expatriate,  and  to 
locate  themselves  on  the  Continent.  They  ac- 
cordingly established  an  English  Dominican  Pro- 
vince in  Belgium,  and  had  a flourishing  College 
at  Bornheim.  Early  in  the  year  1805,  this  beau- 
tiful institution  was  seized  on  and  broken  up  by 
the  French  revolutionary  troops.  At  this  disas- 
trous period,  Father  Thomas  Wilson  was  Presi- 
dent, and  F.  Edward  Fenwick  was  procurator  of 
the  college.  The  latter  was  thrown  into  prison, 
whence  he  was,  however,  shortly  afterwards  de- 
livered, chiefly  in  consequence  of  his  being  an 
American  citizen.  The  President  and  the  other 
members  of  the  Order  escaped  to  England. 

On  entering  the  college,  the  rapacious  French 
troops  seized  upon  every  thing  of  value  upon 
which  they  could  lay  their  hands.  On  this  occa- 
sion, F.  Wilson  showed  his  presence  of  mind,  by 
casting  a valuable  watch  into  a back  garden,  ad- 
joining the  college,  whence  he  recovered  it  on  the 
departure  of  the  French  troops. 

Shortly  after  their  arrival  in  England,  the  mem- 
bers of  the  province  petitioned  their  General  to  be 
sent  to  America,  the  native  country  of  F.  Fen- 
wick. The  request  was  granted,  and  F.  Fenwick, 
in  consequence  of  his  many  virtues,  and  of  his 
being  an  American,  was  named  Superior.  The 
colony  immediately  set  sail,  and  soon  landed  safely 
in  America. 

Twenty-one  years  had  elapsed  since  F.  Fen- 


152 


THE  DOMINICANS 


wick  had  set  foot  on  the  soil  of  his  native  country. 
Born  in  1768,  in  St.  Mary’s  county,  Maryland,  of 
respectable  and  wealthy  parents,  descended  from 
the  Fenwicks  of  Fenwick  Tower  in  Northumber- 
land, England,  he  had  been  sent  abroad  by  his 
parents,  at  the  age  of  sixteen.  At  this  age  he  had 
entered  the  Dominican  college  of  Bornheim, 
where,  after  having  completed  his  education,  he 
had  taken  the  habit  of  St.  Dominic,  and  made  his 
religious  profession.  Promoted  to  holy  orders,  he 
had  been  for  many  years  professor  or  procurator  of 
the  institution,  edifying  his  brethren  by  his  exem- 
plary conduct,  and  his  unaffected  piety.  And 
now  he  returned  to  his  native  country,  invested 
with  the  sacred  order  of  the  priesthood,  and  pre- 
pared to  enter  upon  a new  and  more  extensive 
field  of  usefulness. 

The  members  of  the  Order  who  accompanied 
F.  Fenwick  to  the  United  States  were  three  in 
number:  FF.  Thomas  Wilson,  William  Raymond 
Tuite,  and  R.  Anger;  all  natives  of.  England. 
They  presented  themselves  to  Bishop  Carroll, 
who  welcomed  them  warmly  to  his  extensive  Di- 
ocess,  which  then  embraced  the  whole  territory  of 
the  United  States.  When  F.  Fenwick  applied  for 
advice  as  to  the  most  suitable  location  for  the  new 
Dominican  province,  Bishop  Carroll  recommend- 
ed the  distant  and  destitute  missions  of  Kentucky. 
To  his  tender  solicitude  for  the  prosperity  of  our 
infant  missions,  we  had,  early  in  the  same  year, 
been  indebted  for  the  invaluable  services  of  M. 
Nerinckx ; and  now  we  were  to  be  indebted  to 
the  same  goodness,  for  a whole  band  of  zealous 
and  efficient  missionaries. 

In  the  fall  of  the  year,  1805,  F.  Fenwick  paid 
a visit  to  Kentucky,  to  examine  the  country, 
and  to  decide  on  the  most  fitting  situation  for  the 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


153 


new  establishment.  Having  satisfied  his  mind 
on  the  subject,  he  returned  to  Maryland,  late  in 
the  same,  or  early  in  the  following  year.  In  the 
spring  of  1806,  he  and  his  brethren  removed  to 
Kentucky,  where  they  established  themselves  in 
the  present  Washington  county,  on  a farm  which 
had  been  purchased  with  the  rich  patrimony  of  F . 
Fenwick.  The  new  establishment  was  called  St. 
Rose’s,  after  the  Virgin  of  Lima — the  pro  to-saint 
of  the  Dominican  Order  in  America.  Thus  F. 
Fenwick  was  the  founder  of  the  Dominican  Order 
in  the  United  States  ; and  he  was  afterwards  des- 
tined to  be  the  father  and  founder  of  the  missions 
of  Ohio,  and  its  first  Bishop. 

Having  thus  founded  St.  Rose’s,  F.  Fenwick 
determined  to  commit  the  destinies  of  the  new  es- 
tablishment to  another,  whom,  in  his  humility,  he 
sincerely  believed  better  qualified  than  himself  to 
conduct  it  with  success.  He  accordingly  obtained 
from  the  General  of  the  Order  permission  to  resign 
his  office  of  superior,  in  favour  of  F.  Thomas 
Wilson,  who,  by  an  extraordinary  privilege,  was 
named  Provincial  for  an  indefinite  period. # F. 
Fenwick  then  became  a private  member  of  the 
Order ; preferring  rather  to  live  under  obedience, 
than  to  incur  the  responsibility  of  commanding. 

Under  the  vigorous  administration  of  F.  Wil- 
son, the  establishment  of  St.  Rose,  was  soon  in  a 
flourishing  condition.  To  him,  under  God,  were 
its  prosperity  and  permanency  mainly  ascribable. 
In  1808,  a noviciate  was  opened,  which  was  soon 
filled  with  candidates  for  admission  into  the  Or- 
der. These  young  men  combined  the  exercises 
of  the  active,  with  those  of  the  contempla- 
tive life.  They  spent  some  hours  of  each  day 
in  manual  labour,  adding  the  workmen  in  making 


* Usque  ad  revocationem . 


154 


THE  DOMINICANS 


brick,  and  in  building  the  present  church  and 
the  other  edifices  adjoining.* 

The  infant  institution  was  greatly  aided  by  a 
bequest  left  it  about  this  time  by  a distinguished 
member  of  the  Order.  The  first  Bishop  of  New 
York,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Luke  Concannon,  was  a 
Dominican,  and  a warm  personal  friend  of  his 
brethren  who  had  recently  settled  in  Kentucky. 
He  died  at  Naples,  in  1808,  on  the  eve  of  his  em- 
barkation for  Ameiica.  He  bequeathed  his  valu- 
able library,  besides  $2,000  in  money,  to  the  con- 
vent of  St.  Rose.  He  had  also  intended  to  estab- 
lish a branch  of  his  Order  in  the  new  Diocess  over 
which  he  had  been  called  to  preside,  but  death  pre- 
vented his  design. 

On  his  arrival  in  Kentucky,  F.  Wilson  was  about 
forty-five  years  of  age.  Of  refined  and  highly 
polished  manners,  as  well  as  amiable,  modest  and 
learned,  he  was  universally  admired  and  beloved. 
He  was  of  retiring  habits,  and  much  devoted  to 
prayer  and  study.  He  was  one  of  the  most  learn- 
ed divines  who  ever  emigrated  to  America.  For 
many  years  he  had  been  professor  of  Theology  at 
the  College  of  Bornheim,  in  Belgium;  and  he 
still  continued  to  discharge  the  same  duty  at  the 
newly  established  convent  of  St.  Rose.  He  had 
written  much — probably  an  entire  course  of  theol- 
ogy, adapted  to  the  wants  of  England  and  Ameri- 
ca— but  shortly  before  his  death,  his  large  collec- 
tion of  manuscripts  suddenly  disappeared.  It 
was  believed  that,  through  a motive  of  exagge- 
rated humility,  he  had  himself  committed  them  to 
the  flames,  on  the  eve  of  his  death.  It  will  be 
remembered,  that  in  this  respect,  he  had  the  same 

* See  M.  Badin’s  “Statement  of  the  Missions  of  Kentucky,’* 
in  the  first  volume  of  the  “Annales,”  &c.,  page  40,  note — 
sup,  cit. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


155 


feelings  of  modesty  as  the  Rev.  M.  Nerinckx. 
Much  as  we  admire  humility,  we  cannot  but  re- 
gret the  loss  which  its  excess  thus  occasioned  the 
American  church. 

After  F.  Fenwick  had  been  consecrated  first 
Bishop  of  Cincinnati,  in  1822,  F.  Wilson  accom- 
panied him  to  his  new  Diocess,  in  quality  of  The- 
ologian. After  remaining  in  Ohio  for  six  months, 
during  which  time  he  greatly  aided  the  new  Bish- 
op with  his  wise  counsels,  he  returned  to  St.  Rose. 
Here  he  died,  in  the  same  odour  of  sanctity  in 
which  he  had  lived,  in  the  summer  of  1824.  Long 
and  reverently  will  the  Catholics  of  Kentucky  re- 
member his  virtues,  which  are  still  freshly  em- 
balmed in  the  recollection  of  his  brethren.  He 
was  a bright  ornament  of  an  illustrious  Order, 
and  its  early  history  in  the  United  States  is  iden- 
tified with  his  biography. 

Another  ornament  of  the  Order  in  North  Ameri- 
ca, less  brilliant,  but,  perhaps,  more  useful  still, 
was  the  illustrious  F.  Edward  Fenwick.  After 
he  had  resigned  the  office  of  superior,  he  became 
a general  missionary.  He  was  seldom  at  home, 
and  lived  almost  constantly  on  horseback.  His 
zeal  for  the  salvation  of  souls  was  as  boundless 
as  it  was  untiring  and  persevering.  He  traversed 
Kentucky  in  every  direction,  in  quest  of  scattered 
Catholic  families,  whom  he  was  wont  to  designate 
as  “stray  sheep.55  Often  was  he  known  to  ride 
thirty  or  forty  miles  out  of  his  way,  to  visit  a lone- 
ly Catholic  family,  of  whose  existence  he  had 
been  informed.  Though  not  gifted  with  great  na- 
tural talents,  he  possessed  a peculiar  tact  for  win- 
ning souls  to  Christ.  His  manners  were  of  the 
most  familiar,  affable,  and  winning  kind.  He 
could  adapt  himself  to  every  emergency,  and  to 
every  description  of  character  and  temperament. 


156 


THE  DOMINICANS 


Frank,  open,  and  sincere  by  nature,  and  an  Ame- 
rican himself,  he  possessed  an  instinctive  talent 
for  dealing  with  Americans,  whether  Catholics  or 
Protestants.  Multitudes  of  the  latter  were  con- 
verted to  Catholicity  through  his  agency. 

Often,  after  a long  and  painful  ride,  he  reached, 
at  night-fall,  the  house  of  a distant  Catholic  fami- 
ly, which  he  had  determined  to  visit.  Before 
dismounting  from  his  horse,  he  frequently,  on 
these  occasions,  entered  into  familiar  conversation 
with  his  new  acquaintances,  by  telling  them,  “that 
he  had  travelled  out  of  his  way  in  quest  of  ‘stray 
sheep ;’  and  asking  them  whether  they  had  heard 
of  any  such  in  that  vicinity?”  Having  thus  es- 
tablished a sort  of  intimacy,  he  explained  to  them 
in  the  course  of  the  evening,  the  symbolical  mean- 
ing of  “stray  sheep,”  and  he  seldom  failed  of  his 
object.  On  one  occasion,  however,  he  was  not  so 
successful,  as  the  following  amusing  incident 
will  show. 

He  was  sent  for  by  an  old  lady,  not  a Catholic, 
who  lived  at  a distance  of  four  miles.  Having  no 
horse  at  the  time,  he  was  compelled  to  perform  the 
journey  on  foot,  in  a dark  night,  and  over  bad 
roads.  On  reaching  the  house,  he  found  the  old 
lady  sitting  by  the  fire,  surrounded  by  her  friends. 
She  stated  to  him  very  gravely,  that  knowing  him 
to  be  a very  kind-hearted  man,  she  had  sent  for 
him  in  order  to  procure  twenty-five  cents’  worth 
of  tobacco,  of  which  she  then  stood  greatly  in 
need  ! F.  Fenwick,  though  excessively  wearied, 
could  not  suppress  a laugh  at  the  old  lady’s  vexa- 
tious conceit : he  handed  her  the  money,  stating 
that  he  was  not  in  the  habit  of  carrying  tobacco 
in  his  pockets;  and  on  leaving  the  house,  simply 
requested  her,  with  a smile,  to  send  to  him  for  the 
money  the  next  time  she  needed  tobacco,  and  not 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


157 


to  put  him  to  the  trouble  of  travelling  four  miles 
on  foot. 

But  it  was  on  the  new  missions  of  Ohio,  that 
F.  Fenwick  was  destined  most  to  signalize  his 
missionary  zeal.  Of  this  mission  he  was  the  first 
pioneer  and  founder.  He  penetrated  into  the 
State,  for  the  first  time,  in  the  year  1810.  He  then 
found,  in  the  vicinity  of  Somerset,  only  three  Ca- 
tholic families,  of  German  extraction,  numbering 
in  all  about  twenty  members.  He  traversed  the 
State  in  all  directions,  and  was  gratified  to  be  able 
subsequently  to  discover  there  many  other  scatter- 
ed families  of  Catholics.  These  he  visited  occa- 
sionally, saying  Mass  for  them,  instructing  the 
children,  and  administering  the  Sacraments.  The 
first  churches  of  this  new  mission  were  founded 
by  him. 

In  the  year  1818,  or  1819,  a gentleman  living 
near  Somerset,  Ohio,  made  a present  to  the  Order 
of  a fine  farm,  on  condition  that  F.  Fenwick 
would  erect  on  it  an  institution  similar  to  that  of 
St.  Rose,  in  Kentucky.  The  generous  offer  was 
accepted ; and  with  the  approbation  and  advice  of 
Bishop  Flaget,  whose  Diocess  then  embraced 
Ohio,  F.  Fenwick,  accompanied  by  his  nephew, 
F.  N.  D.  Young,  proceeded  to  Ohio,  to  found  the 
new  establishment.  It  was  called  St.  Joseph’s, 
and  is  now  one  of  the  most  flourishing  convents 
of  the  Order  in  the  United  States. 

In  1822,  F.  Fenwick  was  nominated  by  the 
Holy  See  first  Bishop  of  Cincinnati.  Thinking 
himself  wholly  unfit  for  the  responsible  office,  he 
fled  and  buried  himself  in  his  distant  missions  in 
the  forest.  He  soon,  however,  found  that  it  was 
as  impossible  for  him,  as  it  had  been  for  Jonas  of 
old,  “to  fly  from  the  face  of  the  Lord.”  He  re- 


158 


THE  DOMINICANS 


luctantly  accepted  the  appointment,  and  was  con- 
secrated at  St.  Rose,  by  Bishop  Flaget. 

Our  scope  and  limits  will  not  permit  us  to  enter 
into  the  details  of  his  subsequent  career,  in  the 
episcopacy.  Suffice  it  to  say,  that  he  laboured 
for  ten  years,  with  indefatigable  zeal,  in  this  new 
and  wider  sphere  of  usefulness;  and  that  he  had 
the  satisfaction  to  find,  that  God  abundantly  bless- 
ed his  labours.  When  he  first  visited  Ohio,  he 
was  able  to  find  but  twenty  Catholics ; at  his 
death,  he  left  about  forty  thousand,  whose  spirit- 
ual wants  were  attended  to  by  thirty  missionaries. 
Great  numbers  of  those  had  been  added  to  his  ever 
increasing  flock,  by  conversion. 

He  died,  as  he  had  lived,  in  the  midst  of  his 
labours.  He  was  on  a visitation  of  his  extensive 
Diocess,  which  embraced  Ohio  and  Michigan.  He 
had  fallen  sick  at  Semite  Sainte  Marie , on  Lake 
Superior ; and  when  he  reached  Michillimackinac, 
his  life  was  despaired  of.  Still  he  continued  his 
visitation.  On  the  25th  of  September,  1832,  he 
calmly  breathed  his  last,  thirty  miles  from  Canton. 
He  had  said  Mass,  and  written  two  letters  on  the 
previous  day.  Thus  died  Bishop  Fenwick,  a 
faithful  missionary  to  the  last,  and  a martyr  to 
his  zeal.# 

The  Order  of  St.  Dominic  in  Kentucky  had 
thus  laid  the  foundations  of  the  Ohio  missions, 
and  given  to  the  newly  established  Diocess  of 
Cincinnati  its  first  Bishop.  It  had  established  in 
Ohio  a branch  of  the  Order  which  was  soon  to 
rival  the  mother  institution  itself.  Still,  though 
few  in  number,  the  Dominicans  determined  to  ex- 
tend yet  more  the  sphere  of  their  usefulness. 

* See  an  obituary  notice  of  him  in  the  Catholic  Telegraph, 
voj.  2.  No.  11.  p.  85. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


159 


They  entered  with  relish  and  indefatigable  zeal  on 
the  missions  of  Kentucky.  They  had  charge  of 
several  flourishing  congregations  in  this  Diocess. 
They  attended  the  old  congregation  of  "St.  Anne’s 
on  Cartwright’s  Creek,  until  the  year  1819,  when 
the  tottering  log  church  was  taken  down,  and  the 
congregation  attached  to  it  was  merged  in  that  of 
St.  Rose.  This  had  already  become  one  of  the 
most  numerous  in  the  whole  Diocess. 

They  also  had  charge  of  the  large  congregation 
attached  to  the  church  of  St.  Pius,  in  Scott  coun- 
ty ; as  well  as  of  that  at  Lexington.  The  former 
was  attended  to  successively  by  FF.  R.  Anger 
and  S.  H.  Montgomery ; the  latter,  for  several 
years,  by  F.  Wm.  T.  Willet.  The  last  named 
was  a native  of  Kentucky,  and  had  been  one 
among  the  first  novices  who  had  entered  the  Order 
at  St.  Rose,  where  he  had  been  ordained  in  1816, 
together  with  FF.  Richard  P.  Miles,  Samuel  H. 
Montgomery,  and  N.  D.  Young.  He  was  a man 
as  remarkable  for  his  talents,  as  he  was  for  his  zeal 
and  virtues.  In  Lexington,  he  won  the  hearts  of 
all  who  knew  him.  Humble,  affable,  charitable, 
of  easy  and  polished  manners,  and  an  excellent 
preacher,  he  was  an  efficient  and  devoted  mission- 
ary. But  his  health  was  bad  ; his  constitution 
was  a prey  to  that  insidious  and  fatal  malady — 
consumption ; and  he  fell  a victim  to  this  disease 
on  the  9th  of  May,  1824.  He  was  interred  at  Lex- 
ington, in  presence  of  a vast  concourse  of  people, 
of  all  denominations ; and  his  virtues  are  still 
vividly  remembered.^ 

* A neat  and  plain  sepulchral  monument  was  erected  over  his 
remains  ; and  our  only  source  of  information  as  to  his  life  and 
the  date  of  his  death,  was  a brief  obituary  notice  which  appear- 
ed at  the  time  in  a Lexington  paper,  and  the  inscription  on  his 
tomb. 


160 


THE  DOMINICANS 


About  the  year  1809,  F.  Wilson  had  establish- 
ed, adjoining  the  convent  of  St.  Rose,  the  Col- 
lege of  St.  Thomas  Aquinas.  This  institution 
continued’  to  flourish  for  about  ten  years.  The 
novices  and  younger  members  of  the  Order  acted 
in  the  capacity  of  professors  and  officers  in  this 
college,  the  subsequent  decline  of  which  is  mainly 
ascribable  to  the  increasing  demand  for  their  ser- 
vices on  the  missions,  of  which  the  Dominicans 
had  taken  charge  in  Kentucky  and  Ohio.  So 
great,  in  fact,  was  this  demand,  that  it  was  found 
impossible  to  keep  up  the  institution,  the  exercises 
of  which  were  accordingly  closed  in  1819  or  1820. 
It  had,  however,  already  educated  many  of  the 
youth  of  Kentucky,  both  Catholic  and  Protestant, 
and  had  done  great  good  to  religion. 

About  this  time,  a new  institution — that  of  the 
Sisters  of  the  Third  Order  of  St.  Dominic — grew 
up  under  the  auspices  of  the  Dominicans  in  Ken- 
tucky. The  new  establishment,  called  St.  Mag- 
dalen’s, was  situated  about  a mile  from  St.  Rose. 
F.  Wilson  may  be  viewed  as  its  original  founder; 
but  its  subsequent  prosperity  and  permanancy  are 
mainly  ascribable  to  one  of  the  chief  ornaments  of 
the  Dominican  Order  in  Kentucky — the  present 
Bishop  of  Nashville.^ 

* The  following  statement,  kindly  furnished  us  by  the  same 
Rev.  gentleman  to  whom  we  are  indebted  for  most  of  the  facts 
contained  in  the  preceding  chapter,  will  show  the  present  flour- 
ishing condition  of  the  Sisterhood  of  the  Third  Order  of  St.  Do- 
minic. 

It  has  now  two  houses:  one,  St.  Magdalen’s,  near  St.  Rose’s, 
in  Kentucky;  and  the  other,  St.  Mary’s,  in  Somerset,  Ohio. 
The  convent  of  St.  Magdalen,  in  Kentucky,  has  at  present 
about  eighteen  professed  members,  and  six  novices.  These  re- 
ligious ladies  conduct  a female  boarding  school,  in  which  they 
usually  educate  from  eighty  to  a hundred  pupils.  They  have 
also  recently  opened  a day-school  in  Springfield,  which  bids  fair 
to  flourish.  They  teach  all  the  branches  usually  taught  in  such 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


161 


The  Order  of  Dominicans  in  the  west,  was  sub- 
sequently, for  a short  time,  divided  into  two  dis- 
tinct provinces,  one  of  which  embraced  Ohio,  and 
the  other  Kentucky : but,  on  the  petition  of  the 
members  to  the  General,  the  two  provinces  were 
reunited  into  one.  It  has  given  two  distinguish- 
ed Bishops,  and  many  zealous  missionaries  to  the 
American  church.  Among  the  latter,  we  cannot 
omit  to  mention  FF.  Polin  and  McGrady.  They 
were  both  ordained  together  by  Bishop  Fenwick, 
in  the  year  1822;  and,  after  having  laboured  with 
indefatigable  zeal  for  many  years,  the  former,  on 
the  missions  of  Kentucky,  and  the  latter,  on  those 
of  Ohio,  they  both  met  again  at  St.  Rose,  where 
they  died  within  three  days  of  each  other. # F. 
Polin  was  a Mathematician,  and  a man  of  con- 
siderable talent ; yet  as  humble  as  a child,  and  as 
mild  as  a lamb.  He  was  universally  beloved,  and 
deeply  regretted. 

institutions.  They  recite  daily  in  choir  the  office  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  ; and  also,  the  office  of  the  dead  weekly ; and  they  make 
vows  for  life. 

About  the  year  1828,  the  Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Fenwick,  Bishop  of 
Cincinnati,  being  then  Superior  of  the  Dominican  Order  in 
America,  desirous  of  extending  the  sphere  of  their  usefulness, 
called  four  members  of  the  sisterhood  to  Ohio,  and  established 
them  at  Somerset.  They  began  their  labours  in  a small  house 
which  had  been  purchased  for  their  establishment  by  Dr.  Fen- 
wick. In  a very  short  time  they  became  so  popular,  that  the 
Catholics  of  the  vicinity  united  to  aid  them  in  enlarging  their 
house,  so  as  to  enable  them  to  receive  boarders.  They  named 
their  convent  St.  Mary’s;  and  put  it  under  the  protection  of 
the  gTeat  Queen  of  Virgins.  So  rapidly  has  this  establishment 
increased,  that  it  numbers  now  more  than  twenty  professed 
Sisters,  besides  novices  ; and  educates  about  a hundred  young 
ladies  annually. 

* See  their  obituary  notices  in  the  Catholic  Advocate,  vol.  3, 
p.  390.  F.  Polin  died  on  the  24th,  and  F.  McGrady,  on  the 
27th  of  Dec.,  1839;  and  each  was  in  his  40th  year.  F.  Ray- 
mond Tuite  died  in  1836  or  1837. 


CHAPTER  X. 


The  Trappists  in  Kentucky * — From  1805  to  1809. 


Goodness  of  Providence  toward  the  Missions  of  Kentucky^ 
The  Cistercian  and  Carthusian  Monks — The  Abbe  De  Ranee — ■ 
His  early  life,  disorders,  and  conversion — His  exemplary  pe- 
nance— Attempts  a reform  of  the  Order — The  Trappists — Their 
rules  and  austerities — Dispersed  by  the  French  Revolution — 
Some  of  them  escape  to  America — Father  Urban  Guillet — The 
Trappists  at  the  Pigeon  Hills,  in  Pennsylvania — Their  arrival 
in  Kentucky — Their  edifying  life  and  austerities — The  number 
who  died  in  Kentucky — Cross  in  the  moon — Departure  for  Mis- 
souri— Delay  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio— Sublime  spectacle — 
Ascent  of  the  Mississippi — Curious  accident — The  Trappists  at 
Flourissant — And  at  Monk’s  Mound — The  Indians — Curious 
fact  in  acoustics — Deaths  at  Monk’s  Mound— Return  to  Europe 
— ‘Incidents  of  travel — Remarks  on  a passage  in  the  * ‘American 
Notes”  of  Charles  Dickens. 

It  would  seem  that  Divine  Providence  had  cast 
an  eye  of  particular  benevolence  on  the  early  mis- 
sions of  Kentucky,  and  watched  over  them  with 
a special  care.  The  first  that  was  established  in 
the  west,  the  church  of  Kentucky  was  destined  to 
> , . < ' - '*  ' \ 

* We  have  derived  the  facts  contained  in  this  chapter  from 
an  aged  and  respectable  individual,  who  came  out  to  America 
with  the  Trappists,  and  remained  with  them  until  their  final 
return  to  Europe,  in  1813.  Though  not  himself  a regular  mem- 
ber of  the  Order,  yet  he  lived  in  the  same  community  with  the 
Trappists,  and  was  thoroughly  acquainted  with  their  history 
and  institute. 


THE  TRAPPISTS  IN  KENTUCKY. 


163 


become  the  mother  and  foundress,  as  well  as  the 
model,  of  many  others.  She  was  to  be  the  fruit- 
ful mother  of  many  spiritual  children,  who  “would 
rise  up  and  call  her  blessed.”  From  the  original 
Diocess  of  Bardstown,  no  less  than  nine  others# 
have  already  sprung  into  existence ; many  of  them, 
under  the  fostering  care  of  the  present  venerable 
Patriarch  of  the  western  church. 

And,  as  if  to  prepare  the  church  of  Kentucky 
for  this  wide  extension,  and  to  increase  her  fecun- 
dity, God  seemed  lavish  of  his  favours  in  her  re- 
gard. He  had  already  sent  zealous  missionaries 
to  labour  in  her  ample  field — to  water  it  with  their 
tears,  and  to  gather  from  it  fruits  ripe  for  heaven : 
and  now  He  sent  out  to  the  same  portion  of  His 
vineyard,  a band  of  pious  contemplatives,  who 
were  to  fertilize  it  with  their  prayers,  and  to  dif- 
fuse the  sweet  odour  of  sanctity  throughout  the 
whole  western  wilderness. 

The  Trappists  were  a branch  of  the  Order  of 
Cistercian  Monks,  originally  founded  by  the  great 
Saints  Stephen  and  Bernard,  in  the  twelfth  centu- 
ry. This  was  one  of  the  most  austere  religious 
Orders  ever  established  in  the  church.  It  was  in- 
tended to  revive,  in  the  western  portion  of  the 
Christian  church,  the  bright  examples  of  primitive 
sanctity  furnished  in  the  lives  of  the  eastern  soli- 
taries, of  the  third  and  fourth  centuries.  St.  Bru- 
no,! St.  Bernard,  and  St.  Stephen  were  to  the 
western,  what  St.  Anthony,  St.  Pachomius,  and 
St.  Basil,  had  been  to  the  eastern  church : and  the 
Cistercians  and  Carthusians  of  the  west,  were  the 

* Including  that  of  Little  Rock,  Arkansas,  about  one-half  of 
which  lay  within  the  original  limits  of  the  Diocess  of  Bards- 
town. 

t St.  Bruno  was  the  founder  of  the  Carthusians,  an  Order 
still  more  austere  than  that  of  the  Cistercians. 

L 


164 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


counterpart  of  the  monks  of  Syria  and  of  the 
Thebais,  in  the  east.  Both  were  devoted,  in  a 
life  of  entire  seclusion  from  the  world,  to  the  con- 
stant practice  of  prayer,  of  mortification,  and  of 
all  the  evangelical  counsels. 

Like  most  of  the  religious  Orders,  the  Cister- 
cians had,  in  course  of  time,  relaxed  somewhat  of 
their  primitive  fervour.  They  had  become  less 
devoted  to  austerity  and  to  prayer,  and  had  imbib- 
ed no  little  of  the  spirit  of  the  world,  which  they 
had  renounced.  Fervent  members  of  the  Order 
had,  at  different  times,  laboured,  with  greater  or 
less  success,  both  by  word  and  by  example,  to 
stem  the  downward  current,  and  to  restore  the  so- 
ciety to  its  original  condition.  Among  these  zeal- 
ous men,  whom  Divine  Providence  raised  up  from 
time  to  time,  none  were  perhaps  more  conspicuous, 
or  succeeded  in  effecting  more  good,  than  the  fa- 
mous Abbe  de  Ranee. 

A native  of  France,  of  a wealthy  and  ancient 
family,  the  nephew  of  Bouthillier  de  Clavigni,  the 
French  Secretary  of  State,  the  young  de  Ranee 
was  yet  more  distinguished  for  the  vivacity  of  his 
intellect,  and  the  brightness  of  his  genius.  So 
precocious,  in  fact,  was  his  understanding,  that  he 
had  already  completed  his  Latin  and  Greek 
studies,  and,  with  the  aid  of  his  preceptor,  had 
published  a new  edition  of  the  Greek  poems  of 
Anacreon,  in  his  thirteenth  year ! Young,  gay, 
wealthy,  full  of  wit  and  of  talent,  he  soon  became 
the  idol  of  the  court,  and  soon  too,  alas!  was  con- 
taminated by  its  vices.  With  all  the  enthusiasm 
of  his  nature,  he  gave  himself  up  a willing  victim 
to  the  gay  pleasures  and  gilded  vanities  of  the 
world. 

But  Divine  Providence  had  a higher  destiny  in 
reserve  for  him,  and  mercifully  withdrew  him  from 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


165 


the  delusions  in  which  his  young  spirit  had  been 
temporarily  involved.  Disgusted  with  the  world, 
which,  however  it  smiled  on  him,  could  not  satis- 
fy his  longing  aspirations  after  happiness,  young 
de  Ranee  determined  to  bid  farewell  to  it  for  ever, 
and  to  seek  in  solitude  that  happiness,  which  his 
heart  could  not  find  amid  the  giddy  dissipations  of 
Paris.  He  wished  also  to  atone  for  his  past  dis- 
orders, by  a life  wholly  devoted  to  prayer  and  pe- 
nitential austerity.  He  accordingly  left  Paris,  sold 
his  ample  patrimony  of  Veret,  gave  the  proceeds 
to  the  charity  hospital  of  the  Hotel  Dieu,  at  Paris; 
and,  of  all  his  immense  property,  he  reserved  for 
his  support  only  the  priory  of  Boulogne,  and  the 
Abbey  of  La  Trappe. 

After  having  taken  the  advice  of  three  learned 
and  pious  French  Bishops,  he  resolved  to  enter 
the  Order  of  Cistercians,  of  which  his  Abbey  of 
La  Trappe  was  an  establishment.  He  was  accord- 
ingly admitted  a novice  of  the  Order,  in  1663,  and 
made  his  profession  in  the  following  year,  at  the 
age  of  thirty-eight. 

The  young  religious  soon  shone  forth  a bright 
example  to  his  brethren.  He  deplored  the  sad 
falling  off  of  the  Order  from  its  primitive  fervour, 
and  resolved  to  exert  himself  to  the  utmost  to  re- 
store it  to  the  condition  in  which  it  had  been  left 
by  St.  Bernard.  He  had  all  the  qualities  for  a 
reformer — zeal,  humility,  piety,  and  unshaken 
firmness  of  purpose;  and  the  Holy  See,  viewing 
him  as  the  very  man  for  the  emergency,  gave  him 
ample  powers  to  effect  a thorough  reformation  of 
the  Order  in  France. 

Stimulated  by  his  example,  and  moved  by  his 
burning  eloquence,  the  monks  of  La  Trappe 
soon  embraced  the  proposed  reform.  La  Trappe 
became,  under  de  Ranee,  what  Clairvaux  had  been 
l 2 


166 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


under  St.  Bernard.  But  the  reformer  was  not  so 
successful  with  the  other  houses  of  the  Order, 
which  declined  being  brought  under  the  rigid  dis- 
cipline which  he  had  re-established  at  La  Trappe. 
Those  who  embraced  the  reform  were  called  Trap- 
pis  ts,  from  the  mother  establishment.  In  course 
of  time,  several  other  houses  of  Trappists  were 
established  in  France,  Germany,  Switzerland,  and 
Italy. 

The  different  establishments  of  the  new  reform 
continued  to  flourish  for  about  a hundred  years. 
Every  where  they  exhibited  the  brightest  exam- 
ples of  every  virtue.  Throughout  the  solitudes 
which  they  inhabited,  there  reigned  a perpetual 
silence,  interrupted  only  by  anthems  of  praise  to 
the  Almighty.  Their  rule  also  enjoined  manual 
labour,  rigid  mortifications,  and  perpetual  absti- 
nence from  flesh,  and  even  from  fish  and  eggs. 
Those  who  were  wearied  or  disgusted  with  the 
world,  and  wished  to  do  penance  for  their  sins, 
found  a secure  and  charming  retreat  at  La  Trappe. 
Attracted  by  the  ^sanctity  of  the  monks,  and  stimu- 
lated by  the  illustrious  example  of  de  Ranee,  many 
persons  of  wealthy  and  noble  families  renounced 
the  world,  and  sought  in  this  rigid  Order  to  atone 
for  past  faults,  and  to  aspire  to  perfection^ 

At  length,  the  furious  storm  of  the  French  Re- 
volution scattered  the  humble  glories  of  La 
Trappe.  After  having  blighted  the  most  fertile 
and  lovely  provinces  of  France,  its  ravages  extend- 
ed to  the  wilderness  itself,  which  it  rendered  still 
more  desolate,  by  banishing  from  it  the  voice  of 
prayer.  The  Trappists  were  compelled  to  fly ; 

* The  famous  Baron  de  Geiamb,  a German  nobleman  of  dis- 
tinction, is  an  example  of  this.  Many  of  our  readers  are  familiar 
with  his  recent  beautiful  and  edifying  works. 


IN  KENTUCKY*  167 

and  a branch  of  the  Order  sought  shelter  in  the 
United  States* 

The  Trappists  sailed  for  America  in  1804— the 
same  year  that  the  Rev.  Mr.  Nerinckx  embarked 
for  our  shores.  On  the  15th  of  August  of  that 
year — the  Feast  of  the  Assumption  of  the  Blessed 
Virgin  Mary — they  established  themselves  at  the 
Pigeon  Hills,  near  Conawago,  in  Pennsylvania. 
Father  Urban  Guillet,  a native  of  France,  was 
their  Superior  during  the  whole  time  of  their  so- 
journ in  America.  He  was  a man  of  great  piety, 
of  indefatigable  zeal  and  activity,  and  of  singular 
meekness  and  suavity  of  manners.  He  won  the 
hearts  of  all  who  became  acquainted  with  him. 

The  original  number  of  Trappists  who  emigrat- 
ed to  America  was  twenty-five,  of  whom  eight 
were  priests,  and  seventeen  lay-brothers.  These 
were  subsequently  farther  augmented  by  two  other 
smaller  colonies,  consisting  of  three  priests  and 
several  lay-brothers.  They  were  from  various 
parts  of  France,  Switzerland,  and  Italy.  Besides 
the  regular  members  of  the  Order,  there  were  also 
many  boys  attached  to  the  establishment.  These 
were  not,  however,  subject  to  its  severe  discipline. 
Under  the  eye  of  the  monks,  they  were  trained  to 
piety  and  learning,  and  were  taught  various  trades. 
When  they  attained  the  proper  age,  they  were  re- 
ceived into  the  Order,  if  their  inclinations  prompt- 
ed them  to  ask  admission,  and  if  it  was  thought 
that  they  had  a true  vocation. 

The  Trappists  remained  at  the  Pigeon  Hills  for 
only  one  year.  Desirous  of  breathing  a purer  at- 
mosphere of  solitude,  they  determined  to  pene- 
trate farther  into  the  wilderness.  Father  Urban 
had  already  visited  Kentucky,  and  selected  a situ- 
ation for  the  new  establishment,  on  Pottinger’s 
Creek,  near  Rohan’s  knob , about  a mile  from  the 


168 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


church  of  Holy  Cross.  To  this  place  the  Trap- 
pis  ts  removed  in  the  fall  of  1805  ; and  here  they 
remained  for  about  three  years  and  a half — until 
the  spring  of  1809. 

On  their  arrival  in  Kentucky  they  opened  a 
gratuitous  school  for  boys,  whom  they  endeavour-* 
ed  to  train  up  in  virtue  and  learning.  This  was 
the  first  Catholic  school  of  any  note  that  was  es- 
tablished in  our  State.  It  continued  to  flourish 
for  nearly  three  years,  and  contributed  greatly  to 
the  spiritual  improvement  of  the  rising  generation. 
Under  the  care  of  the  monks,  many  youths,  be- 
sides being  imbued  with  the  elements  of  learning, 
were  reared  to  the  practice  of  virtue,  and  were  pre- 
pared for  their  first  Communion. 

The  Catholics  of  Kentucky  were  greatly  edified 
by  the  piety  of  the  good  monks.  Their  example 
diffused  through  the  new  settlements  the  sweet 
odour  of  piety.  Though  their  institute  did  not 
permit  them  to  engage  actively  in  the  labours  of 
the  missionary  life,  yet  Father  Urban  often  visited 
the  sick,  and  discharged  other  duties  of  the  min- 
istry, in  case  of  necessity.  But  the  hands  of  the 
good  solitaries  were  ever  stretched  forth  in  prayer 
on  the  mountain  of  God,  while  their  missionary 
brethren  were  labouring  in  the  plain.  And  there 
is  no  doubt,  that  their  fervent  prayers  and  peni- 
tential austerities  drew  down  an  abundant  bless- 
ing on  the  infant  missions  of  Kentucky.  Sinners 
are  converted  and  souls  are  saved  more  by  prayer 
than  by  preaching ; at  least,  the  latter  is  wholly 
powerless  unless  united  with  the  former. 

While  in  Kentucky,  the  Trappists  relaxed  in 
nothing  the  rigor  of  their  institute.  They  ob- 
served a perpetual  silence.  They  slept  on  boards, 
with  nothing  but  a blanket  for  their  covering,  and 
a coarse  canvass  bag  stuffed  with  straw  for  their 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


169 


pillow.  They  gave  but  four  hours  in  the  twenty- 
four  to  repose — from  eight  o’clock,  P.  M.,  until 
twelve.  At  midnight  they  arose  to  sing  the  Divine 
Office  in  common,  after  which  they  never  retired 
to  rest.  They  took  but  one  meal  in  the  day,  at 
three  o’clock,  P.  M. ; with  a slight  collation  at 
night,  from  Easter  until  Ascension  day.  They 
never  ate  meat,  butter,  eggs,  nor  fish  : their  food 
consisted  of  the  coarsest  bread,  and  of  vegetables 
plainly  dressed.  On  Good  Friday,  they  took  no- 
thing but  bread  and  water.  Their  life  was  thus 
a continual  penance  and  prayer. 

But,  in  the  climate  of  Kentucky,  these  rigid 
austerities  were  not  compatible  with  health.  The 
constitutions  of  many  among  the  monks  were 
greatly  impaired ; and  five  priests  and  three  lay- 
brothers  fell  victims  to  disease,  and  were  buried 
in  the  cemetery  adjoining  the  church  of  Holy 
Cross.  These  afflictions,  and  the  ardent  desire 
which  Father  Urban  had  conceived  of  labouring 
for  the  conversion  and  civilization  of  the  Indian 
tribes,  together  with  the  aspiration  after  still  great- 
er solitude,  determined  him  to  emigrate  with  his 
Order  still  farther  westward. 

But  before  we  follow  this  remarkable  band  of 
monks  in  their  onward  pilgrimage  to  the  far-west, 
we  will  briefly  relate  a singular  natural  phenome- 
non which  they  witnessed  while  in  Kentucky, 
and  for  which  we  are  indebted  to  the  same  eye- 
witness to  whom  we  owe  the  other  details  of  this 
chapter. 

In  the  year  1808,  the  moon,  being  then  about 
two -thirds  full,  presented  a most  remarkable  ap- 
pearance. A bright  and  luminous  cross,  clearly 
defined,  was  seen  in  the  heavens,  with  its  arms 
intersecting  the  centre  of  the  moon.  On  each  side, 
two  smaller  crosses  were  also  distinctly  visible, 


170 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


though  the  portions  of  them  most  distant  from 
the  moon  were  more  faintly  marked.  This  strange 
phenomenon  continued  for  several  hours,  and  was 
witnessed  by  the  Trappists  on  their  arising,  as 
usual,  at  midnight,  to  sing  the  divine  praises. 
The  largest  cross  was  about  sixteen  diameters  of 
the  moon  in  length,  and  four  in  width  : the  small- 
er ones  were  of  about  one-third  this  magnitude. 
The  breadth  of  each  arm  of  the  largest  cross  was 
just  that  of  the  moon’s  diameter.  Our  readers 
may  have  learned  through  the  public  newspapers, 
that  a phenomenon  somewhat  similar,  though  not 
altogether  so  remarkable,  was  lately  witnessed  in 
various  parts  of  the  United  States. 

Having  resolved  to  remove  farther  west,  the 
Trappists  built  a flat-boat,  near  the  house  of  Capt. 
J.  Rapier,  on  the  Beech  Fork,  about  three  miles 
from  Bardstown ; and  having  launched  it,  and 
placed  their  effects  on  board,  they  patiently  await- 
ed the  coming  of  a freshet  to  bear  them  to  the 
Ohio  river.  They  were  enabled  to  depart  from 
Kentucky  early  in  the  spring  of  1809;  and  they 
proceeded  without  accident  to  the  mouth  of  the 
Ohio.  Here  they  were  delayed  for  three  weeks, 
awaiting  the  arrival  of  a body  of  boatmen,  whom 
Father  Urban,  who  had  travelled  by  land  to  St. 
Louis,  had  promised  to  send  to  meet  them  at  this 
point,  in  order  to  aid  them  in  the  difficult  ascent  of 
the  Mississippi. 

During  their  stay  at  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio,  the 
monks  landed  on  the  Illinois  side  of  the  river, 
near  the  site  of  the  present  town  of  Cairo.  Here 
they  felled  and  sawed  timber,  and  fitted  up  a tem- 
porary altar,  at  the  foot  of  a large,  widely-branch- 
ing tree,  and  there  they  daily  sang  the  divine 
praises,  and  offered  up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the 
New  Law.  It  was,  perhaps,  the  first  time  that  the 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


171 


voice  of  prayer  had  been  heard  amidst  those  dense 
and  unreclaimed  forests : the  first  time  that  the 
Holy  victim  had  been  there  offered  up  ! There 
is  something  truly  grand  and  sublime  in  the  spec- 
tacle presented  by  this  first  solemn  act  of  worship 
at  the  confluence  of  the  two  great  rivers  which 
water  the  Mississippi  Valley!  It  was  a solemn 
dedication  of  the  whole  Valley  to  the  service  of 
the  Living  God. 

At  length,  almost  despairing  of  the  expected 
aid  from  St.  Louis,  the  Trappists  set  to  work  to 
prepare  their  boat  for  the  ascent  of  the  Mississippi. 
They  sawed  timber,  covered  the  boat  with  planks, 
erected  a large  mast,  and  fitted  to  it  a temporaiy 
sail.  When  they  had  completed  these  prepara- 
tions, they  were  cheered  by  the  arrival  of  sixteen 
sturdy  Canadian  boatmen,  or  voyageurs , sent  to 
their  assistance  by  Father  Urban.  On  examining 
the  boat,  the  Canadians  declared  that  the  mast  and 
sail  were  useless,  and  a mere  encumbrance ; and 
that  the  only  means  of  conveying  the  boat  to  St. 
Louis  would  be,  to  tow  it  along  the  banks  by 
means  of  ropes.  This  was  a laborious  and  tedi- 
ious  operation,  which  consumed  a whole  month  : 
whereas,  in  one  of  our  modern  steamboats,  the  as- 
cent is  now  accomplished  with  ease  in  thirty-six 
hours. 

On  the  arrival  of  the  boat  at  St.  Louis,  the 
Trappists  learned  that  Father  Urban  had  deter- 
mined to  fix  the  new  monastic  establishment  at 
Flourissant,  where  there  is  at  present  a flourishing 
institution  of  the  Jesuits.  The  boat  was  accord- 
ingly towed  up  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers, 
to  the  point  on  the  latter  nearest  to  Flourissant. 
An  accident  occurred  at  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri, 
which  greatly  endangered  the  safety  of  the  boat, 


172 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


and  may  serve  to  show  the  peculiar  dangers  at- 
tending this  species  of  navigation. 

In  attempting  to  draw  the  boat  into  the  rapid 
current  of  the  Missouri,  the  tow-line  broke,  and 
the  boat  shot  rapidly  down  the  stream.  All  the 
able  bodied  men  were  on  the  shore,  and  only  the 
infirm  and  disabled  were  on  board.  The  boat 
continued  to  descend  the  Mississippi  during  al- 
most an  entire  day,  before  the  boatmen  on  the 
shore  were  able  to  check  it ; and  several  days’ 
hard  labour  were  required  to  regain  their  former 
position,  and  many  more  to  reach  their  destination. 

At  Flourissant  the  Trappists  remained  for  one 
year,  during  which  time  they  continued  to  prac- 
tice all  the  religious  austerities  of  their  Order.  In 
1S10,  M.  Jarot,  a French  Catholic  of  Kahokias, 
made  them  a present  of  a farm  in  Illinois,  lying 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi  river,  about  six 
miles  above  St.  Louis.  To  this  place  they  imme- 
diately removed,  and  here  they  continued  for  near- 
ly three  years.  This  was  their  fourth  and  last 
resting  place  in  the  United  States. 

They  soon  set  to  work  and  built  up  a little  vil- 
lage on  the  bosom  of  the  prairie,  in  the  immedi- 
ate vicinity,  and  around  the  foot  of  a cluster  of 
Indian  mounds,  one  of  which,  larger  than  the  rest, 
is  still  called  Monk’s  Mound.  These  mounds 
were,  probably,  the  great  burial  places  of  the  In- 
dian tribes ; and  the  cluster  formed  a sort  of  “city 
of  the  dead.”  In  excavating  for  the  foundation 
of  their  houses,  the  monks  discovered  bones, 
idols,  beads,  implements  of  war,  and  various  other 
Indian  antiquities. 

During  their  stay  at  Monk’s  Mound,  the  Trap- 
pists were  often  in  great  danger  from  marauding 
bands  of  Indians.  Many  person  were  killed  and 
scalped  in  the  immediate  vicinity  of  the  place ; 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


173 


and  the  youths  belonging  to  the  establishment 
were  often  compelled  to  join  parties  of  the  white 
people  who  were  organized  for  the  pursuit  and 
chastisement  of  the  savages.  Still,  the  monks 
themselves  were  never  molested  in  their  own  es- 
tablishment. The  savages  seemed  even  to  be 
awed  into  reverence  for  their  sanctity  ; and  often 
did  they  pause  in  the  vicinity  of  the  rude  Trappist 
chapel,  to  listen  to  the  praises  of  God  chanted 
amidst  the  bones  of  their  own  fathers. 

Father  Urban  had  conceived  an  ardent  desire  to 
open  a school  for  the  instruction  and  civilization 
of  the  Indian  tribes : he  intended  to  teach  their 
children  the  various  trades  of  civilized  life,  while 
their  minds  would  be  gradually  imbued  with  the 
elements  of  Christianity.^  But  untoward  events, 
and  the  speedy  recall  of  the  Order  to  Europe,  pre- 
vented him  from  carrying  this  benevolent  design 
into  execution. 

At  the  time  that  the  Trappists  established  them- 
selves in  Illinois,  the  Indian  war  of  the  northwest 
was  beginning  to  rage.  It  terminated  in  the  full 
discomfiture  of  the  savages,  at  the  famous  battle 
of  Tippecanoe,  on  the  7th  of  November,  1811. 
It  is  a remarkable  fact  in  the  history  of  acoustics, 
that  the  Trappists  distinctly  heard  the  report  of 
the  cannon  fired  at  Tippecanoe,  though  they  were 
about  two  hundred  miles  distant  from  the  scene 
of  action.  A peculiar  state  of  the  atmosphere,  and 
the  circumstance  that  the  sound  passed  uninter- 
rupted over  immense  level  prairies,  may  enable  ug 
to  account  for  this  curious  fact,  which  is  stated 
on  respectable  authority. 

* See  the  Statement  of  M.  Badin,  on  the  Missions  of  Ken- 
tucky, published  in  the  “Annales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foy” 
— vol.  1,  No.  11,  1823,  p.  32-3. 


174 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


In  Illinois,  the  monks  were  scarcely  more  for- 
tunate, in  regard  to  health,  than  they  had  been  in 
Kentucky.  They  there  lost  by  death  two  priests 
and  five  lay-brothers  of  the  Order,  all  of  whom 
were  buried  at  Monk’s  Mound.  Thus,  during 
their  whole  stay  of  nearly  nine  years  in  the  United 
States — from  1804  to  1813 — they  lost  seven  priests 
and  eight  lay-brothers,  making  a total  of  fifteen  ; 
besides  a few  others  who  may  have  died  in  Penn- 
sylvania and  Missouri.  It  was  apparent  that  the 
ciimate  was  not  congenial  to  their  health,  while 
practising  the  rigid  austerities  enjoined  by  their 
Order. 

This  and  other  reasons  soon  caused  their  return 
to  Europe.  The  fury  of  the  French  Revolution 
had  subsided ; and  Napoleon  Buonaparte  had  set 
up  again  the  altars  which  it  had  thrown  down  or 
desecrated.  When  religious  freedom  had  been 
thus  restored,  the  General  of  the  Order  recalled 
the  Trappists  from  America,  to  reoccupy  the  es- 
tablishments from  which  they  had  been  banished 
in  Europe. 

Father  Urban  immediately  prepared  to  obey  the 
call  of  his  Superior.  In  the  month  of  March, 
1813,  the  establishment  at  Monk’s  Mound  was 
broken  up.  The  property  was  disposed  of,  and 
the  monks  embarked  with  their  more  valua- 
ble moveables,  at  St.  Louis,  in  a keel  boat  bound 
for  Pittsburgh.  Their  trip  was  long,  painful,  and 
attended  with  many  dangers.  To  exhibit  the  dif- 
ficulties of  travelling  on  our  western  waters  at 
that  time,  we  will  here  mention  a few  of  the  inci- 
dents attending  this  voyage  on  the  Mississippi  and 
Ohio  rivers. 

The  boat  pursued  its  course  during  the  day,  and 
usually  landed  at  night,  when  the  crew  bivouack- 
ed in  the  woods.  On  reaching  the  mouth  of  the 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


175 


Ohio  river,  the  whole  country  was  found  to  be 
inundated,  as  far  as  the  eye  could  reach,  and  it  be- 
came impossible  to  effect  a landing.  A day  or 
two  afterwards,  the  boatmen  discovered  a house 
on  the  Illinois  side,  on  the  site  of  the  present  town 
of  America,  about  15  miles  above  the  mouth  of 
the  river.  They  were  overjoyed  at  the  sight ; and, 
having  landed,  they  endeavoured  to  enter  the 
building.  But  they  found  the  doors  barricadoed, 
and  the  whole  house  pierced  with  port-holes,  for 
protection  against  the  savages.  It  was  a kind  of 
solitary  block-house  erected  in  the  wilderness. 
After  waiting  in  suspense,  for  several  hours,  they 
at  length  observed  a white  man,  in  the  garb  of  a 
hunter,  slowly  and  cautiously  approaching  the 
house,  with  his  musket  levelled.  They  showed 
themselves,  and  shouted  out  at  the  top  of  their 
voice,  that  they  were  friends.  The  hunter  ran 
hastily  towards  them,  gave  them  a cordial  wel- 
come, and  having  bid  his  wife  to  unbar  the  doors 
of  his  castle,  introduced  the  strangers,  and  made 
them  sharers  in  his  best  cheer.  He  told  them 
that  he  had  been  living  alone  for  several  years  in 
this  place,  and  that  the  precautions  they  had  no- 
ticed, had  often  secured  him  and  his  family  from 
the  horrors  of  Indian  massacre. 

On  reaching  Fort  Massac,  the  boat  was  brought 
to  by  the  garrison  stationed  there ; and  in  attempt- 
ing to  land,  the  steersman  ran  it  on  a rock,  which 
accident  well-nigh  caused  it  to  founder.  On  land- 
ing, a few  miles  below  Shawneetown,  they  were 
near  being  robbed,  and  perhaps  murdered,  by  a 
band  of  eight  suspicious  looking  men,  who  suc- 
cessively arrived  at  the  landing  shortly  afterwards, 
in  two  large  pirogues.  It  was  believed,  that  these 
men  had  perhaps  followed  the  boat  from  St.  Louis, 
with  a view  to  possess  themselves  of  the  money 


176 


THE  TRAPPISTS 


and  valuable  cargo  which  they  knew  it  contained. 
The  monks  were  alarmed  at  an  early  hour  of  the 
night,  and  immediately  repaired  with  Father  Ur- 
ban, to  the  boat,  which  was  pushed  off  from  the 
shore,  and  tied  to  a tree  in  the  middle  of  the  river. 
The  probable  robbers  finding  that  their  plot  was 
discovered,  and  anticipating,  perhaps,  a warm  re- 
ception, made  no  attempt  upon  the  boat ; and,  in 
the  morning,  they  had  disappeared. 

The  rest  of  the  journey  was  performed  without 
any  farther  adventure  worthy  of  notice.  The 
Trappists  embarked  for  France,  and  bade  a final 
farewell  to  the  United  States.  While  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Order,  both  priests  and  lay-brothers, 
thus  returned  to  Europe,  many  of  the  young  men 
who  were  attached  to  it  remained  in  America ; 
generally  devoting  themselves  to  the  trades  which 
they  had  learned  among  the  Trappists. # 

We  will  close  this  rapid  and  very  imperfect 
sketch  of  the  Trappists  in  America,  by  an  expression 
of  deep  regret,  that  a man  of  Mr.  Dickens’  good 
sense  and  general  good  feelings,  should  have  so 
far  forgotten  himself,  as  to  have  penned  that  libell- 
ous passage  in  his  “ American  Notes,”  in  which 
he  speaks  of  the  Trappists  as  gloomy,  and  self-de- 
stroying fanatics,  and  seems  even  to  rejoice  over 
the  death  of  many  of  their  number  in  America. 
In  an  ignorant  and  bigoted  Protestant,  we  might 
have  excused  this  atrocious  sentiment:  but  we 
are  wholly  at  a loss  to  account  for  it  in  the  accom- 
plished and  refined  Boz — a name  which  has  done 
so  much  to  elicit  sympathy  for  the  oppressed  and 
the  suffering. 

* Three  of  them  settled  in  Bardstown,  where  one  of  them  is 
still  living. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


177 


Carnal-minded  Protestantism  never  could  un- 
derstand nor  relish  a life  of  retirement,  of  self-de- 
nial, of  penance,  and  of  mortification.  To  it,  the 
spirit  and  utility  of  these  practices  are  wholly  un- 
intelligible. The  example  of  Christ  himself,  and 
that  of  St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  of  all  His  Saints, 
fail  to  correct  the  erroneous  feelings  on  this  sub- 
ject. “The  sensual  man  perceiveth  not  the  things 
which  are  of  the  Spirit  of  God.”  And  the  man 
who  would  speak,  as  Mr.  Dickens  has  spoken,  of 
the  retirement  and  austerities  of  the  Trappists, 
would,  if  not  restrained  by  human  respect  from 
carrying  out  his  principle,  also  sneer  at  similar  ob- 
servances in  the  life  of  Christ  himself! 

We  grant  that  austerity  and  bodily  inflictions 
may  be  carried  too  far.  But  the  numerous  deaths 
which  occurred  among  the  Trappists  in  America, 
were,  perhaps  owing  to  their  not  being  occustomed 
to  the  climate,  at  least  as  much  as  to  any  indiscre- 
tion they  may  have  been  guilty  of  in  practising 
the  hard  penances  enjoined  by  their  rule.  We  do 
not  find  that  a similar  mortality  attends  the  Order 
in  France  and  in  other  countries  of  Europe,  where 
it  has  been  long  established.  On  the  contrary, 
the  European  Trappists,  like  the  ancient  solitaries 
of  the  Thebais,  are  famous  for  their  longevity. 
The  experience  of  mankind  has  clearly  establish- 
ed the  fact,  that,  where  one  man  dies  prematurely 
from  voluntary  abstinence,  ten  thousand  die  by 
eating  too  much.  And  the  longevity  of  ancient 
and  modern  cenobites  has  proved  the  entire  truth 
of  the  old  adage : “if  you  would  eat  long , you 
must  eat  little 


CHAPTER  XI. 


The  Arrival  of  the  Bishop  in  Kentucky. 


Efforts  of  M.  Badinto  have  a Bishop  nominated  for  Kentucky 
— His  journey  to  Baltimore — Edifying  incident  at  Brownsville, 
Pennsylvania-^The  Rev.  M.  Flaget — His  early  life — Arrival  in 
America — Labours  at  Vincennes — In  Havana — And  at  Balti- 
more— His  qualities — Appointed  first  Bishop  of  Bardstown— 
Firmly  declines  accepting — Compelled  to  yield — Consecrated — 
The  Rev.  M.  David — Difficulties  and  delay  at  Baltimore — Ex- 
tracts from  the  Bishop’s  correspondence — Incidents  of  the  jour- 
ney to  Kentucky— The  Arrival — The  ceremonies  of  taking  pos- 
session of  his  See — Apostolical  poverty — Religious  statistics  of 
Kentucky  on  his  arrival — And  of  the  Northwest — The  Bishop 
removes  to  St.  Thomas’,  and  to  Bardstown — The  first  priest  or- 
dained in  Kentucky — His  zeal  and  labours — Eulogy  of  Bishop 
Flaget 

Hitherto  we  have  treated  of  the  early  mis- 
sions of  Kentucky.  We  must  now  speak,  though 
necessarily  with  great  brevity,  of  Kentucky  as  a 
Diocess  ; of  the  life  and  apostolical  labours  of  its 
first  Bishop,  and  of  the  many  institutions  for  piety 
and  education,  which,  with  the  divine  blessing, 
he  was  enabled  to  rear. 

Long  and  ardently  had  the  Rev.  M.  Badin  de- 
sired and  prayed,  that  God  would  vouchsafe  to 
send  a Bishop  to  take  charge  of  the  extensive  mis- 
sions under  his  direction.  After  the  arrival  in 
Kentucky  of  the  Rev.  M.  Nerinckx,  of  the  Do- 


BISHOP  PLACET  IN  KENTUCKY.  179 

minicans,  and  of  the  Trappists,  he  had  enjoyed 
more  leisure,  and  had  some  time  to  breathe.  Still, 
he  had  employment  enough  to  exercise  his  zeal  to 
the  full.  He  continued,  in  the  capacity  of  Vicar 
General,  to  have  the  charge  of  the  whole  misson- 
ary  district.  The  yearly  increase  of  the  Catho- 
lics, the  building  of  new  churches,  the  organiza- 
tion of  additional  congregations,  and  the  general 
solicitude  for  the  welfare  of  the  entire  mission, 
were  sufficient  to  engage  his  whole  thoughts,  and 
allowed  but  little  rest,  even  to  one  of  his  active 
mind  and  body. 

For  nearly  fourteen  years  he  had  been  labouring 
in  the  missions  of  Kentucky  ; during  a considera- 
ble portion  of  the  time,  alone  and  unaided.  Often 
had  he  wished  to  confer  with  the  venerable  Bishop 
of  Baltimore  on  the  condition  and  wants  of  this 
distant  portion  of  his  vast  Diocess.  The  commu- 
nication with  his  superior  by  letter  was  then  very 
difficult  and  uncertain ; and  the  number  and 
weight  of  his  employments  had  hitherto  prevent- 
ed him  from  visiting  Baltimore.  Now,  however, 
he  felt  that  he  could  undertake  the  journey  with- 
out detriment  to  his  missionary  duties.  Accord- 
ingly, in  the  spring  of  1807,  he  set  out  for  Balti- 
more. One  great  object  of  his  visit  to  Bishop  Car- 
roll,  was,  to  represent  to  him,  in  the  strongest  light, 
the  importance  of  having  a Bishop  appointed  for 
Kentucky. 

We  must  briefly  relate  a little  incident  which 
occurred  on  this  journey.  He  seldom  omitted  any 
opportunity  of  preaching,  or  of  doing  good.  When 
he  had  reached  Brownsville,  Pennsylvania,  he 
was  invited  to  preach ; and  the  Methodist  meet- 
ing-house was  politely  tendered  to  him  for  this 
purpose.  A large  concourse  of  people  were  in  at- 
tendance, anxiously  desiring  to  see  the  priest,  and 


180 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


to  hear  what  he  had  to  say.  M.  Badin  ascended 
the  pulpit,  and  having  made  the  sign  of  the  cross, 
and  said  some  preliminary  prayers,  he  began  his 
discourse,  with  a good  humoured  smile,  somewhat 
in  this  characteristic  way : “My  dear  brethren : 
you  have  been  in  the  habit  of  hearing  the  Gospel 
incorrectly  preached,  and  of  hearing  the  doctrines 
of  the  Holy  Catholic  Church  misrepresented  from 
this  place : I mean  to  tell  you  the  truth,  and  the 
whole  truth.”  He  then  clearly  stated  the  Catho- 
lic doctrine,  furnishing  scriptural  proofs  as  he  ad- 
vanced, and  answering  the  most  common  objec- 
tions. He  proved  that  Catholics,  far  from  reject- 
ing the  Bible,  were  really  its  best  friends  and 
truest  expounders  ; and  that,  but  for  the  Catholic 
church,  Protestants  would  not  even  have  the 
Bible. 

His  discourse  made  a deep  and  lasting  impres- 
sion. Among  his  hearers  was  a Major  Noble,  a 
man  of  considerable  talent  and  standing  in  that 
vicinity.  After  the  sermon,  he  invited  M.  Badin 
to  his  house ; and  after  having  conversed  with 
him  at  length  on  the  doctrines  and  practices  of 
Catholicity,  he  determined  to  become  himself  a 
member  of  the  church.  M.  Badin  had  the  conso- 
lation to  baptize  him  and  to  offer  up  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  in  his  house. 

Mrs.  Noble  was  still  deeply  prejudiced  against 
the  Catholic  church ; but  she  became  uneasy  in 
mind,  and  after  having  prayed,  and  read  attentive- 
ly some  Catholic  works  which  M.  Badin  left  with 
the  family,  she  too  resolved  to  become  a Catholic. 
On  his  return  from  Baltimore,  M.  Badin  had  the 
great  happiness  to  baptize  her,  and  all  the  other 
members  of  the  family. 

On  his  arrival  in  Baltimore,  M.  Badin  was  kind- 
ly received  and  warmly  welcomed  by  the  venera- 


IN  KENTUCKY;  l8l 

ble  Bishop  Carroll.  He  lost  no  time  in  represent- 
ing to  the  Bishop  the  condition  and  necessities  of 
the  missions  of  Kentucky ; and  in  strongly  urg- 
ing the  appointment  of  a Bishop  to  take  charge  of 
them.  He  recommended  for  this  situation  the 
Rev.  M.  Flaget,  a distinguished  Sulpician,  whose 
ardent  zeal,  tender  piety,  and  long  experience  in 
the  missions  of  America,  fitted  him  in  a peculiar 
manner  for  the  office  of  the  episcopacy.  Provi- 
dence seemed  to  point  to  him  as  the  very  man  for 
the  emergency. 

As  We  have  elsewhere  seen,  this  virtuous  and 
eminent  clergyman  had  come  to  America  in  1792* 
in  company  with  the  Rev.  MM.  David  and  Badin* 
and  he  had  therefore  been  in  the  country  for  near- 
ly sixteen  years.  He  had  already  performed  the 
arduous  noviciate  of  the  western  missions,  and 
had  become  schooled  to  the  difficulties  and  dan- 
gers attending  them.  Bishop  Carroll  had  sent 
him  to  Yinceiines  in  the  year  1792 ; — -one  year  be- 
fore M.  Badin  was  sent  to  Kentucky.  In  Vin- 
cennes, M.  Flaget  had  laboured  with  indefatigable 
zeal,  for  more  than  two  years.  In  that  and  the 
other  French  Catholic  stations  in  the  northwest, 
he  had  effected  much  good,  and  done  much  to  re- 
vive piety  among  those  entrusted  to  his  charge. 
He  had  undergone  much  toil,  suffered  many  hard- 
ships, and  escaped  many  dangers  from  the  hostili- 
ty of  the  Indian  tribes; 

Especially  had  he  signalized  his  zeal  and  de- 
votedness during  the  prevalence  of  the  small-pox* 
which  raged  with  great  fury  among  the  French 
population  during  his  brief  stay  at  Vincennes. 
Wherever  the  fearful  disease  made  its  appearance, 
there  was  he  to  be  found,  attending  to  the  spiritual 
and  temporal  wants  of  the  sufferers,  and  exerting 
himself  to  the  utmost  to  assuage  their  ills,  and  to 
M 


182 


BISHOP  PLACET 


pour  the  balm  of  consolation  into  their  afflicted 
spirits.  In  short,  he  had  been  one  of  the  very 
first  and  most  efficient  pioneers  of  Catholicity  in 
the  west. 

Late  in  the  year  1794,  he  returned  to  Baltimore, 
by  the  way  of  J\ew  ( Orleans  ; and  was  succeeded 
at  Yincennes  by  M.  Rivet,  of  whom  we  have  al- 
ready spoken.  He  was  afterwards  sent,  with  some 
brother  Sulpicians,  to  the  Island  of  Havana,  where 
he  spent  some  time  in  the  attempt  to  build  up  a 
Catholic  College.  While  there,  he  became  ac- 
quainted with  the  present  King  of  the  French, 
Louis  Philippe,  who  was  then  a fugitive  from  his 
country,  and  in  great  distress.  The  people  of  Ha- 
vana made  up  a considerable  sum  of  money  for 
his  benefit,  and  appointed  M.  Flaget  to  hand  over 
the  amount  to  the  illustrious  exile. 

Various  circumstances  having  caused  the  failure 
of  the  attempt  to  establish  a college  of  the  Sulpi- 
cians at  Havana,  M.  Flaget  and  his  associates  re- 
turned to  Baltimore.  Here  M.  Flaget  spent  his  time 
in  teaching,  and  in  the  various  duties  of  a college 
life  ; edifying  all  by  his  humility,  his  tender  piety, 
his  charity,  and  all  the  qualities  which  mark  the 
gentleman  and  the  Christian  priest.  He  was, 
moreover,  blessed  with  a strong  frame,  and  an  iron 
constitution.  In  fine,  he  possessed  all  the  quali- 
ties requisite  for  the  first  Bishop  appointed  in  the 
wrest. 

Such  was,  at  least,  the  opinion  of  Bishop  Car- 
roll,  who  was  an  excellent  judge  of  character,  and 
intimately  acquainted  with  M.  Flaget.  Old  age 
and  infirmity  were  now  beginning  perceptibly  to 
steal  over  the  venerable  Patriarch  of  the  American 
Church  ; he  found  that  the  whole  Union,  of  which 
he  was  Bishop,  and  the  See  of  New  Orleans,  of 
which  he  was  administrator,  formed  too  heavy  a 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


1S3 


burden  for  the  shoulders  of  one  man,  now  worn 
down  with  years  and  fatigue,  both  of  body  and 
mind.  He  accordingly  recommended  to  the  So- 
vereign Pontilf,  the  sainted  Pius  VII.,  the  erection 
of  four  new  Episcopal  Sees,  and  the  appointment 
of  four  new  Bishops,  for  Boston,  New  York,  Phi- 
ladelphia, and  Bardstown.  The  Pontilf  acceded 
to  the  request:  the  four  new  Sees  were  erected  in 
ISOS;  and  Bishop  Carroll  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  Archbishop. 

M.  Flaget  was  nominated  first  Bishop  of  Bards- 
town. His  See  embraced  the  whole  northwestern 
territory  of  the  United  States,  or  that  which  lay 
north  of  the  35th  degree  of  north  latitude,  includ- 
ing the  present  States  of  Michigan,  Ohio,  Indiana, 
Illinois,  Missouri,  Kentucky,  Tennessee,  and 
about  one  half  of  Arkansas,  besides  the  two  terri- 
tories of  Wisconsin  and  Iowa — seven  and  a half 
States,  and  two  territories.  From  this  great  mother 
Diocess  of  the  west,  ten  have  now  sprung  up — 
including  that  of  Little  Rock.  The  See  of  Bards- 
town bears  to  the  west,  nearly  the  same  relation, 
as  that  of  Baltimoie  does  to  the  whole  United 
States  : each  is  a mother  church,  to  which  many 
spiritual  daughters  look  up  with  gratitude  and 
reverence. 

On  receiving  the  news  of  his  appointment,  the 
humility  of  Bishop  Flaget  immediately  took  the 
alarm.  He  could  not  discover  in  himself  those 
exalted  qualities  which  all  others  perceived.  He 
persisted  in  a refusal  of  the  nomination  for  two 
whole  years;  and,  the  more  effectually  to  get  rid 
of  the  burden  with  which  he  was  threatened,  he 
determined  to  leave  the  United  States,  and  to  visit 
his  native  country.  But  he  had  scarcely  reached 
Paris,  when  M.  Emery,  the  venerable  Superior  of 
the  Sulpicians,  put  into  his  hands  a letter  from 
m2 


184 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


Pope  Pius  VII.,  in  which  he  was  commanded  to 
accept  the  appointment  without  farther  delay. 
Longer  resistance  would  have  been  in  manifest 
opposition  to  the  will  of  heaven,  and  Bishop  Fla- 
get  submitted  to  his  fate  with  resignation. 

His  friends  in  France  urgently  pressed  him  to 
receive  the  episcopal  consecration  in  his  native 
country ; but  Bishop  Flaget  resolutely  declined, 
alleging  that  a sense  of  propriety  prompted  him  to 
be  consecrated  in  Baltimore,  by  Archbishop  Car- 
roll.  He  accordingly  made  little  delay  in  France. 
He  returned  to  Baltimore,  where  he  was  conse- 
crated by  the  Archbishop,  on  the  4th  day  of  No- 
vember, 1810,  the  Feast  of  St.  Charles  Borromeo, 
towards  whom  he  had  always  cherished  a particu- 
lar devotion. 

In  the  neyr  career  which  Divine  Providence 
now  opened  to  Bishop  Flaget,  he  had  the  conso- 
lation to  be  aided  by  the  advice  and  assistance  of 
one  among  his  oldest  and  best  friends.  The  Rev. 
J.  B.  M.  David,  had  been  the  sharer  in  his  exile  from 
France,  and  the  companion  of  his  voyage  to  the 
United  States,  in  1792.  He  now  cheerfully  offer- 
ed his  services  for  the  new  Diocess,  to  the  charge 
of  which  God  had  called  his  distinguished  friend. 

The  Rev.  Dr.  Emery,  the  Superior  of  the  Sul- 
picians,  to  which  congregation  both  belonged,  had 
already  appointed  M.  David  Superior  of  the  Semi- 
nary which  Bishop  Flaget  intended  to  form,  in 
order  to  rear  up  clergymen  for  his  new  Diocess. 
The  Bishop  rightly  judged,  that  he  could  not  hope 
to  be  blessed  with  general  or  permanent  success, 
without  the  resource  of  a Theological  Seminary ; 
and  the  event  proved,  that  he  could  not  have  se- 
lected a more  valuable  or  efficient  instrument  for 
carrying  this  design  into  execution,  than  the  one 


IN  KENTUCKY.  185 

whom  obedience  and  Christian  friendship  thus  as- 
signed him. 

Besides  M.  David,  Bishop  Flaget  had,  associated 
with  him  for  the  Diocess  of  Bardstown,  a Cana- 
dian priest,  a subdeacon, # and  two  young  laics. 
The  three  last  named  were  to  form  the  nucleus  of 
his  Theological  Seminary.  But  unforeseen  diffi- 
culties now  presented  themselves.  The  new  Bish- 
op had  not  the  means  to  defray  the  necessary  ex- 
penses of  himself  and  companions  on  the  long 
and  painful  journey  to  Kentucky.  In  this  emer- 
gency, the  charity  of  his  numerous  friends  in 
Baltimore  came  to  his  assistance.  A subscription 
was  set  on  foot,  and  the  necessary  amount  was 
promptly  collected. 

Still  it  was  not  until  the  spring  of  the  following 
year,  1811,  that  the  Bishop  was  enabled  to  com- 
mence his  journey  westward.  Two  letters  which, 
during  this  interval,  he  addressed  to  the  Very  Rev. 
M.  Badin,  now  his  Vicar  General  in  Kentucky, 
unfold  the  embarrassment  which  he  felt,  as  well 
as  the  state  of  his  feelings  in  entering  upon  his 
new  charge.  We  will  be  pardoned  for  here  fur- 
nishing extracts  from  this  portion  of  his  corres- 
pondence.! 

“God  is  my  witness,”  writes  the  good  Bishop  to 
M.  Badin,  “that  I seek  not  for  riches  ; I would 
rather  die  a thousand  times  than  be  subject  to  this 
disorder.  The  less  of  the  goods  of  this  world  we 
possess,  the  less  will  our  minds  be  made  uneasy. 

*The  present  Rt.  Rev.  Coadjutor  Bishop,  Dr.  Chabrat. 

t Copious  portions  of  these  letters  are  given  by  M.  Badin,  in 
his  Statement  “of  the  Missions  of  Kentucky,”  P.  37,  seqq.,  of- 
ten quoted  already.  He  prefaces  the  extracts  with  the  appro- 
priate remark:  ‘Thomme  se  peint  dans  ses  ecrits” — “the  man 
paints  himself  in  his  writings.”  They  are  also  published,  in 
an  English  translation,  in  the  U.  S.  Catholic  Miscellany,  for 
Dec.  1,  1824. 


186 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


But  there  are  some  expenses  which  it  is  absolutely 
necessary  to  meet,  and  it  is  your  business  to  de- 
vise the  means.  I must  calculate  on  your  friend- 
ship for  me.  It  will  then  be  your  business,  my 
dear  Badin,  henceforth  to  provide  for  me  the  means 
of  living.  And,  after  all,  you  have  brought  it  on 
yourself;  for,  were  it  not  your  seeking,  they 
would  never  have  thought  of  making  me  Bishop. 
We  have  eight  or  nine  trunks  of  books  and  other 
necessaries,  and  the  distance  is  very  great,  and  the 
carriage  very  dear;  the  expense  of  our  journey, 
and  the  carriage  of  our  packages,  must  exceed 
$500,  and  we  have  nothing.  Here,  then,  we  must 
stay,  till  Providence  relieve  us.  However,  to 
make  my  expenses  as  light  as  possible,  I shall 
leave  at  Baltimore  a servant  who  has  offered  him- 
self to  me  gratis.  I shall  even  leave  my  books 
too,  as  I do  not  reckon  them  essential ; and  I will 
only  take  M.  David  with  me.  He  and  I are  fully 
satisfied  to  live  just  as  you  do,  be  your  table  ever 
so  poor,  and  be  your  accommodations  ever  so 
moderate. 

“If  the  episcopacy  presented  to  me  only  difficul- 
ties of  this  kind,  I should  not  have  made  so  great 
a stir  about  accepting  it.  Providence  hurries  me 
on,  in  spite  of  myself:  I was  well  on  my  way, 
travelling  by  sea  and  by  land,  to  shake  off  a yoke 
which  it  was  sought  to  fasten  on  me ; and  I have 
only  my  pains  for  my  reward.  God  seems  to  re- 
quire of  me  to  bow  my  head,  and  to  suffer  this 
burden  to  be  placed  on  it,  though  it  is  likely  to 
crush  me.  Alas ! if  I stop  long  to  consider  my 
weakness,  I shall  become  so  far  depressed  in  spirits, 
as  not  to  be  able  to  take  one  step  on  the  long  path 
which  lies  open  before  me,  and  which  I must  now 
traverse.  To  sustain  my  courage,  1 am  frequent- 
ly constrained  to  recollect,  that  I have  not  intruded 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


187 


myself  into  this  august  ministry ; but  that  all  the 
superiors  whom  I have  on  earth  have,  in  one  way 
or  another,  forced  me  to  accept  of  it.” 

To  assist  the  good  Bishop  in  defraying  the  ex- 
penses of  his  journey  westward,  M.  Badin  had 
opened  a subscription  in  Kentucky.  But  the  po- 
verty of  the  Catholics,  and  other  circumstances, 
caused  him  subsequently  to  suspend  it.  Bishop 
Flaget  alludes  to  the  circumstance  in  the  follow- 
ing passage,  from  another  letter  addressed  to  his 
Vicar  General,  which  breathes  a spirit  similar  to 
that  already  given. 

“Be  pleased  to  take  notice,  that  we  are  seven  oi 
eight  persons,  and  have  but  one  horse  among  us. 
I intend  to  let  M.  David,  as  being  the  slowest  of 
foot,  have  the  use  of  him : I and  my  other  com- 
panions will  perform  the  journey  on  foot,  with  the 
greatest  pleasure,  and  without  the  least  difficulty. 
This  manner  of  pilgrimage  will  be  more  to  my 
taste,  and,  unless  I am  greatly  in  error,  will  dero- 
gate nothing  from  my  dignity.  I,  however,  leave 
every  thing  to  your  own  prudence.  For  myself, 
I shall  feel  quite  happy,  if  my  money  hold  out  to 
supply  our  wants  as  far  as  Louisville,  where  I ex- 
pect to  meet  you.  The  rest  of  the  journey  will  be 
at  your  cost. 

“May  the  will  of  God  be  done ! I would  prefer 
a thousand  times  to  walk,  rather  than  create  the 
slightest  murmur : on  this  account,  I approve  of 
your  having  suspended  the  collection  which  had 
been  commenced  for  us : it  would  only  have 
alienated  the  affections  of  the  people  from  me ; 
still  it  is  clear,  that  those  good  people,  who  were 
so  anxious  to  have  a Bishop  amongst  them,  should 
pay  the  amount  of  his  expenses  in  coming  to 
them.  There  is  nothing,  I trust,  which  I would 
not  do  for  the  sanctification  of  my  flock.  My 


188 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


time,  my  labours,  my  life  itself,  are  all  consecrated 
to  this  object.  And  when  I shall  have  done  all 
this,  I must  still  say,  that  I am  an  useless  servant: 
I have  done  only  that  which  I was  bound  .to  do.” 

In  another  letter,  addressed,  some  years  later, 
to  the  directors  of  the  French  Association  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith,  Bishop  Flaget  thus 
graphically  describes  the  difficulties  of  his  situa- 
tion, on  being  nominated  first  Bishop  of  Bards- 
town.# 

“To  give  you  a clear  idea  of  the  bishoprics  of 
the  United  States,  I propose  to  lay  before  you  a 
brief  statement  of  the  condition  in  which  I found 
myself,  after  the  Court  of  Rome,  on  the  represen- 
tation of  Bishop  Carroll,  had  nominated  me  to  the 
bishopric  of  Bardstown.  I was  compelled  to  ac- 
cept the  appointment,  whether  I would  or  not ; I 
had  not  a cent  at  my  disposal ; the  Pope  and  the 
Cardinals,  who  were  all  dispersed  by  the  Revolu- 
tion, were  notable  to  make  me  the  slightest  pre- 
sent; and  Archbishop  Carroll,  though  he  had 
been  Bishop  for  more  than  sixteen  (twenty)  years, 
was  still  more  poor  than  myself;  for  he  had  debts, 
and  I owed  nothing.  Nevertheless,  my  consecra- 
tion took  place  on  the  4th  of  November,  1810 ; 
but  for  want  of  money  to  defray  the  expenses  of 
the  journey,  I could  not  undertake  it.  It  was 
only  six  months  afterwards,  that,  through  a sub- 
scription made  by  my  friends  in  Baltimore,  I was 
enabled  to  reach  Bardstown,  my  episcopal  See. 

“It  was  on  the  9th  of  June,  1811,  that  I made 
my  entry  into  this  little  village,  accompanied  by 
two  priests,  and  three  young  students  for  the  ec- 
clesiastical state.  Not  only  I had  not  a cent  in  my 
purse,  but  I was  even  compelled  to  borrow  nearly 


* “Anaales  de  la  Propagation  de  la  Foy” — vol.  3.  p.  189. 


IN  KENTUCKY, 


1S9 


two  thousand  francs,  (about  $380)  in  order  to  be 
able  to  reach  my  destination.  Thus,  without 
money,  without  a house,  without  property,  almost 
without  any  acquaintances,  I found  myself  in  the 
midst  of  a Diocess,  two  or  three  times  larger  than 
all  France,  containing  five  large  States  and  two 
immense  territories,  and  myself  speaking  the  lan- 
guage, too,  .very  imperfectly.  Add  to  all  this,  that 
almost  all  the  Catholics  were  emigrants,  but  new- 
ly settled,  and  poorly  furnished.”. 

The  good  Bishop,  with  his  companions,  left 
Baltimore  early  in  May,  1811 ; and  they  travelled 
over  the  mountains  to  Pittsburgh,  where  they  em- 
barked on  a flat-boat,  on  the  22d  day  of  the  same 
month.  The  health  of  the  good  M.  David  was 
then  “in  as  bad  a condition  as  was  that  of  the 
Bishop’s  funds:”*  he  had  been  exhausted  by  his 
previous  missionary  labours  in  Maryland.  A let- 
ter of  his,  written  to  a friend  in  France,  on  the  20th 
of  November,  1817, f furnishes  some  interesting 
particulars  of  the  passage  down  the  Ohio  river. 

“A  Canadian  priest  had  joined  us,  and  the  boat 
on  which  we  descended  the  Ohio,  became  the 
cradle  of  our  seminary,  and  of  the  church  of  Ken- 
tucky. Our  cabin  was,  at  the  same  time,  chapel, 
dormitory,  study-room,  and  refectory.  An  altar 
was  erected  on  the  boxes  ( caisses ),  and  ornament- 
ed as  far  as  was  possible.  The  Bishop  prescribed 
a regulation  which  fixed  all  the  exercises,  and  in 

* From  his  letter  cited  below. 

* This  interesting  document  gives  a clear  and  concise  state- 
ment of  the  apostolic  labours  and  establishments  ot  Bishop  Fla- 
get,  from  1810  to  the  date  at  which  it  was  written.  We  shall 
have  occasion  often  to  quote  it  in  the  sequel.  It  was  published 
in  a French  Journal — “Le  Journal  de  Marseilles,  et  des  bouches 
de  Rhone,  administrate,  politique,  commercial,  et  literaire.” 
Oct.  17,  1818:  No.  188. 


190 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


which  each  had  its  proper  time.  On  Sunday,  af- 
ter prayer,  every  one  went  to  confession  : then  the 
priests  said  Mass,  and  the  others  went  to  com- 
munion. After  an  agreeable  navigation  of  thir- 
teen days,  we  arrived  at  Louisville,  next  at  Bards* 
town,  and  finally  at  the  residence  of  the  Vicar 
General.55 

The  party  reached  Louisville  on  the  4th  of  June* 
Here  they  were  met  by  the  good  M.  Nerinckx* 
who  escorted  them  to  Bardstown  and  to  St.  Ste- 
phen’s, the  residence  of  M.  Badin.  They  reach- 
ed Bardstown  on  the  9th,  and  St.  Stephen’s  in  the 
evening  of  the  11th,  of  the  same  month.  Here 
they  were  welcomed  by  a large  concourse  of  peo- 
ple, assembled  to  see  their  new  Bishop  for  the  first 
time ; as  well  as  by  nearly  all  of  the  Catholic  cler- 
gymen then  in  Kentucky.  Among  the  latter, 
there  were  present,  the  Rev.  Messrs.  Badin,  Fen- 
wick, Wilson,  Tuite,  Nerinckx,  O’Flynn,  besides 
M.  David,  and  the  Canadian  priest  who  accompa- 
nied the  Bishop;  making  in  all  eight  priests — 
more  than  had  ever  before  been  seen  together  in 
Kentucky. 

The  enthusiastic  joy  of  the  good  people  on  see- 
ing their  Bishop  among  them,  and  the  ceremonies 
which  took  place  on  the  occasion,  are  so  well  de- 
scribed by  M.  Badin,  in  the  Statement  of  the  mis- 
sions of  Kentucky,  already  often  quoted, # that  we 
cannot  perhaps  do  better  than  simply  to  translate 
from  that  document. 

“The  Bishop  there  (at  St.  Stephen’s)  found  the 
faithful  kneeling  on  the  grass,  and  singing  canti- 
cles in  English  : the  country  women  were  nearly 
all  dressed  in  white,  and  many  of  them  were  still 
fasting,  though  it  was  then  four  o’clock  in  the 

* P.  39.  note , Annales,  &c.  vol.  1.  sup . tit. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


191 


evening;  they  having  indulged  the  hope  to  be 
able  on  that  day  to  assist  at  his  Mass,  and  to  re- 
ceive the  holy  Communion  from  his  hands.  An 
altar  had  been  prepared  at  the  entrance  of  the  first 
court,  under  a bower  composed  of  four  small  trees 
which  overshadowed  it  with  their  foliage.  Here 
the  Bishop  put  on  his  pontifical  robes.  After  the 
aspersion  of  the  holy  water,  he  was  conducted  to 
the  chapel  in  procession,  with  the  singing  of  the 
Litany  of  the  Blessed  Virgin ; and  the  whole 
function  closed  with  the  prayers  and  ceremonies 
prescribed  for  the  occasion  in  the  Roman  Ponti- 
fical.55 

From  the  same  source,  we  borrow  the  following 
account  of  the  Bishop’s  manner  of  life  during  the 
first  year  of  his  residence  in  Kentucky,  during 
which  time  he  remained  at  St.  Stephen’s  with 
M.  Badin. 

“M.  Badin  had  for  his  own  lodging  but  one 
poor  log  house ; and,  in  consequence  of  the  ex- 
penses he  had  lately  incurred  in  building  a house 
for  a monastery,  which  was  burnt  down  ere  it  had 
been  completed,  it  was  with  great  difficulty  that 
he  was  enabled  to  build  and  prepare,  for  the  resi- 
dence of  his  illustrious  friend,  and  the  ecclesias- 
tics who  accompanied  him,  two  miserable  log 
cabins,  sixteen  feet  square:  and  one  of  the  mis- 
sionaries was  even  compelled  to  sleep  on  a matress 
in  the  garret  of  this  strange  episcopal  palace, 
which  was  white-washed  with  lime,  and  contain- 
ed no  other  furniture  than  a bed,  six  chairs,  two 
tables,  and  a few  planks  for  a library.  Here  the 
Bishop  resided  for  a year,  esteeming  himself  hap- 
py to  live  thus  in  the  midst  of  apostolical  po- 
verty.” 

On  the  arrival  of  the  Bishop  in  Kentucky,  the 
condition  and  statistics  of  his  Diocess  were  about 


192 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


as  follows.  There  were  more  than  a thousand 
Catholic  families , including  many  who  had  been 
received  into  the  church  by  the  earlier  Catholic 
missionaries.  The  Catholic  population  did  not 
probably  exceed,  even  if  it  reached,  6000.  There 
were  six  priests,  besides  the  Vicar  General, # who 
administered  the  Sacraments  to  more  than  thirty 
different  congregations  or  stations,  about  ten  of 
which  only  had  churches  or  chapels  erected.  The 
names  of  the  churches  then  in  Kentucky,  are  as 
follows  : Holy  Cross,  St.  Stephen’s,  Holy  Mary’s 
St.  Charles,  St.  Ann,  St.  Rose,  St.  Patrick,  St. 
Francis,  St.  Christopher,  and  St.  Joseph.  Besides 
these,  the  following  were  in  progress  of  erection  : 
St.  Louis’,  St.  Michael’s,  St.  Clare’s,  St.  Bene- 
dict’s, St.  Peter’s,  and  St.  John’s.  There  was 
also  one  convent  of  Dominicans,  and  several  resi- 
dences for  the  clergy.  Finally,  there  were  six 
plantations  belonging  to  the  church,  besides  seve- 
ral bodies  of  uncultivated  lands. f 

Such  were  the  resources  of  that  portion  of  his 
vast  Diocess  which  was  embraced  by  Kentucky. 
The  other  parts  of  his  charge  in  the  northwestern 
States  and  territories,  were  not  so  well  provided 
for.  From  a letter  of  Bishop  Flaget,  dated  No- 
vember 17th,  1817,  it  appears,  that  there  were  at 
that  time,  “on  the  river  St*  Laurence,  near  Lake 
Huron,  about  five  thousand  French  Catholics, 
scattered  over  a space  of  eighty  or  ninety  miles, 
with  but  one  priest  to  administer  to  them  the  suc- 
cours of  religion.  At  Post  Vincennes,  on  the 
Wabash,  there  were  about  a thousand  Catholics, 

* Seven  Catholic  priests  had  already  died  in  Kentucky,  in- 
cluding five  Trappists. 

t We  have  derived  these  statistics  from  a manuscript  note  of 
M.  Badin,  written  many  years  ago,  and  appended  to  the  printed 
letter  of  Bishop  David,  above  quoted. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


193 


without  any  resident  clergyman.  Finally,  in  the 
State  of  Ohio,  there  were  about  two  hundred  Ger- 
man families  of  Catholics. 

After  residing  a year  at  St.  Stephen’s,  Bishop 
Flaget  removed,  with  M.  David  and  the  semina- 
rians, to  St.  Thomas’,  where  he  fixed  his  abode 
for  nearly  eight  years.  About  a year  previous  to 
the  dedication  of  the  new  Cathedral  of  St.  Jo- 
seph’s at  Bardstown,  he  took  up  his  residence  in 
this  latter  place. 

The  first  priest  whom  he  had  the  happiness  to 
ordain,  was  M.  Chabrat,  his  present  Rt.  Rev.  Co- 
adjutor. He  had  accompanied  him  from  France 
to  the  United  States,  in  the  year  1810  ; and  was 
already  subdeacon,  when  he  arrived  in  Kentucky. 
He  was  ordained  priest  at  St.  Rose,  on  the  Feast 
of  Christmas,  1811.  He  immediately  afterwards 
commenced  his  missionary  career  in  Kentucky ; 
and  continued  for  many  years  to  labour  with  great 
zeal  and  success.  He  was  one  of  our  oldest,  most 
laborious,  and  most  efficient  missionaries. 

We  cannot  even  attempt  to  give  any  adequate 
account  of  the  apostolic  labours  of  our  venerable 
Bishop,  during  the  long  series  of  years  that  he 
has  remained  among  us.  Language  would  be 
indeed  feeble,  to  pourtray  the  difficulties  he  had 
to  encounter ; the  fatigue  and  toil  he  underwent, 
the  privations  he  endured,  the  poverty  with  which 
he  struggled,  and  the  hardships  he  suffered,  dur- 
ing his  long  missionary  career  in  Kentucky.  Nor 
is  it  necessary  to  dwell  on  these  things  at  any 
great  length.  They  are  fresh  in  the  memory  of 
all  our  readers.  His  virtues  are  embalmed,  and 

* The  letter  was  addressed  to  a friend  at  Aix,  in  France,  and 
was  published  in  an  old  French  paper,  from  which  we  have 
translated  the  above  extract. 


194 


BISHOP  FLAGET 


his  eulogy  written  in  the  hearts  of  his  clergy  and 
flock  ; and,  in  fact,  in  the  minds  of  all  the  citizens 
of  Kentucky,  without  distinction  of  creed.  The 
noble  institutions,  literary,  religious,  and  charita- 
ble, which  have  sprung  up  around  him,  consti- 
tute the  best  monument  to  his  memory.  He 
needs  no  other.  These  are  the  seals  of  his  apos- 
tleship — these  form  the  blooming  crown  of  his 
labours  and  unquenchable  zeal. 

He  always  put  himself  at  the  head  of  his  little 
band  of  zealous  missionaries,  sharing  in  their  la- 
bours, and  stimulating  their  zeal,  both  by  word 
and  by  example.  He  visited  regularly  the  various 
congregations  of  his  Diocess,  forming  them  to 
piety,  and  every  where  appearing  as  the  father  of 
his  people.  His  words  were  full  of  unction  and 
of  divine  sweetness,  and  moved  all  hearts.  A 
man  of  God,  and  filled  with  the  spirit  of  prayer, 
he  transfused  his  own  feelings  into  the  minds  and 
hearts  of  those  whom  he  addressed.  All  respect- 
ed and  reverenced,  and  his  clergy  and  people  loved 
him  as  a father.  He  rejoiced  with  those  who  re- 
joiced, and  wept  with  those  who  wept.  Full  of 
dignity  and  sweetness,  he  won  all  hearts. 

To  his  clergy,  especially,  he  was  a model  of 
every  virtue  , of  unremitting  zeal  in  the  labours 
of  the  ministry,  and  of  that  spirit  and  practice  of 
continual  prayer,  without  which  all  the  toil  and 
efforts  of  the  missionary  were  without  profit.  He 
never  failed  to  make  his  meditation,  and  to  offer 
up  the  Holy  Sacrifice  daily.  Often  was  he  known 
to  ride  on  horseback  twenty-five  or  thirty  miles, 
fasting,  in  order  to  be  able  on  that  day  to  celebrate 
the  Holy  Mysteries. 

What  a consolation  for  him,  in  the  evening  of 
his  life,  to  behold  all  his  labours  crowned  with  so 
astonishing  a success  ! To  behold  himself  sur- 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


195 


rounded  by  so  many  spiritual  children,  who  rise 
up  and  call  him  blessed ! To  see  so  many  flour- 
ishing institutions  in  his  Diocess.  To  behold  the 
west,  which  he  entered  as  pioneer  and  first  Bish- 
op, now  blessed  with  so  many  flourishing  Diocess- 
es,  the  chief  pastors  of  which  hail  him  as  their 
venerable  Patriarch  \ 

' '•  - : • V ■ ' r . * 


/. 


CHAPTER  XII. 


Rev.  M.  Nerinckx  again — His  Establishments  and 
Death . — From  18 LI  to  1824. 


Rev.  M.  Nerinckx — Faithful  unto  death — A good  soldier  of  the 
Cross — His  Merits  testified  by  Bishop  Flaget — His  success  in 
making  converts — Appointed  administrator  of  New  Orleans — 
Declines  the  honor — Affection  of  his  old  parishioners — His  spirit 
and  character — Founds  the  Society  of  Loretto — The  objects  of 
the  Sisterhood — The  Mother  House — And  branch  Establish- 
ments— Bishop  Flaget’s  testimony — Utility  of  the  Society — 
Christian  perfection — Reliance  on  Providence — Love  of  pover- 
ty— Continual  Prayer — Mortification — Rules  modified — Journey 
of  M.  Nerinckx  to  Missouri — His  edifying  death — Translation  of 
his  remains — His  monument  and  epitaph. 

| , • < 

We  have  already  endeavoured  to  give  some  ac- 
count of  the  early  life  and  apostolic  labours  of  the 
Rev.  M.  Nerinckx.  We  cannot  say  too  much  of 
this  excellent  missionary,  xvho,  for  nearly  twenty 
years,  laboured  on  our  infant  missions,  with  a 
zeal  as  commendable,  as  was  the  success  of  his 
exertions  admirable.  We  do  little,  when  we  de- 
vote another  chapter  to  the  life,  establishments, 
and  holy  death  of  this  good  man.  The  church 
of  Kentucky  will  long  cherish  his  memory,  as 
that  of  one  among  her  earliest  and  greatest  bene- 
factors. 

To  the  very  close  of  his  life,  he  continued  the 
same  arduous  missionary  labours  of  which  we 
treated  in  a previous  chapter.  Instead  of  mode- 


THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN, 


197 


rating,  he  rather  daily  increased  the  number  and 
weight  of  his  employments.  New  opportunities 
of  doing  good  and  of  saving  souls,  constantly  pre- 
sented themselves ; and  he  seldom  let  one  of 
them  pass  by  unimproved.  His  zeal  seemed  even 
to  grow  with  his  years  ; and  old  age,  instead  of 
cooling,  served  rather  to  inflame  its  fervour.  Final- 
ly, he  died  in  the  midst  of  his  apostolic  labours? 
toiling  to  his  last  breath,  for  the  salvation  of  souls? 
and,  like  a good  soldier,  he  fell  on  the  field  of  bat- 
tle, bravely  fighting  the  battles  of  the  cross. 

His  missionary  labours,  especially  during  the 
last  years  of  his  life,  almost  stagger  belief.  On 
this  subject,  we  will  give  the  testimony  of  a very 
competent  witness — of  one  who  knew  him  tho- 
roughly, and  fully  appreciated  his  worth — of  the 
venerable  Bishop  Flaget,#  his  ecclesiastical  su- 
perior. 

“During  a considerable  time,  he  had  to  serve 
alone  with  the  Rev.  M.  Badin,  who  well  deserves 
the  title  of  founder  of  this  Diocess — of  the  seve- 
ral congregations  of  this  immense  region.  The 
continual  travelling  which  M.  Nerinckx  was 
obliged  to  undergo,  at  all  seasons  of  the  year,  and 
exposed  to  every  inconvenience,  would  have  ter- 
rified the  most  enterprising  pioneer.  As,  at  the 
time  of  his  arrival,  there  were  but  one  or  two 
churches  built,  and  the  Catholics  were  scattered 
through  the  country,  he  went  about  from  settle- 
ment to  settlement,  celebrating  the  holy  mysteries 
from  house  to  house — hearing  confessions  every 
morning,  and  obliged  to  fast  almost  every  day  in 

* In  a letter  addressed  to  Bishop  England,  and  published  in 
the  U.  S.  Catholic  Miscellany,  for  Dec.  8th,  1824 — a few 
months  after  the  death  of  M.  Nerinckx.  We  shall  often  have 
occasion  to  quote  thi3  document  in  the  course  of  the  present 
chapter. 


198 


THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN  l 


the  year.  His  instructions  were  extremely  simple, 
and  quite  to  the  point.  God  alone  can  estimate 
the  great  fruit  which  they  produced  in  all  descrip- 
tions of  persons. 

“Feeling  greatly  the  inconvenience  which  arose 
from  celebrating  the  divine  mysteries  in  rooms  de- 
voted to  every  worldly  purpose,  he  did  his  best  to 
inspire  all  Catholics  whom  he  used  to  visit,  with 
a zeal  for  constructing  churches,  and  endowing 
them  with  lands  for  the  support  of  pastors.  His 
exertions,  in  this  respect,  were  crowned  with  per- 
fect success.  The  Catholic  church  of  Kentucky 
has  acquired  much  land,  which  is  worth  very  lit- 
tle at  present,  but  which  will  one  day  have  con- 
siderable value.  We  count  ten  churches  built 
solely  by  his  exertions  ; also  six  convents  of  nuns, 
and  as  many  oratories.  He  made  two  journeys 
to  Europe,  in  order  to  procure  the  means  necessary 
for  those  great  works  ; and  the  valuables  which 
he  procured  exceeded  the  amount  of  $15,000. 
This  aid  was  principally  drawn  from  religious 
Flanders* 

“The  attempt  of  death  to  snatch  M.  Nerinckx 
from  us  has  been  ineffectual ; for  he  still  lives 
among  us  in  his  works,  and  the  monuments  of 
the  zeal  of  my  virtuous  friend  are  so  multiplied  in 
my  Diocess,  and  his  generous  self  devotion  so 
well  appreciated,  that  his  name  and  that  of  his 
beneficent  country  are  embalmed  in  the  memory  of 
my  flock*” 

The  labours  of  M.  Nerinckx  increased  so  much 
during  the  last  years  of  his  life,  as  almost  entirely 
to  exhaust  his  strength,  and  probably  to  hasten  his 
death.  Though  blessed  with  an  iron  Constitution 
and  a herculean  frame,  yet  incessant  missionary 
toils  and  hardships,  both  in  Europe  and  in  Ameri- 
ca, had  greatly  impaired  his  health.  He  was  sel- 


HIS  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH.  199 

dom  heard  to  murmur  or  to  complain,  yet  he  some- 
times observed,  towards  the  close  of  life,  “that  the 
care  of  three  thousand  souls  in  six  different  con- 
gregations, and  in  several  stations  besides,  many 
miles  apart,  weighed  heavily  on  a man  of  more 
than  sixty  years  of  age.”# 

Though  he  had  something  austere  in  his  man- 
ner ; and  though  he  was  a foreigner  and  spoke 
English  very  imperfectly,  yet  is  it  remarkable  that 
he  made,  perhaps,  more  converts  among  Protest- 
ants, than  any  other  missionary  who  ever  labour- 
ed in  Kentucky,  if  we  except  M.  Badin.  So  true 
is  it,  that  conversion  is  not  ordinarily  effected  by 
human  eloquence  alone,  or  by  any  other  mere  hu- 
man means,  but  by  the  grace  and  blessing  of  God, 
crowning  with  success  the  labours  of  the  mission- 
ary. M.  Nerinckx  seldom  made  a missionary  tour 
without  receiving  some  one  into  the  bosom  of  the 
Holy  Catholic  Church.  In  one  of  these  excur- 
sions, he  made  no  fewer  than  thirteen  converts. f 
And  those  whom  he  received  into  the  church  were 
well  grounded  in  the  faith,  and  generally  proved 
steadfast. 

The  transcendent  merit  of  M.  Nerinckx  did  not 
escape  the  eye  of  Bishop  Carroll.  Besides  having 
charge  of  the  whole  territory  of  the  United  States, 
this  venerable  patriarch  of  the  American  church 
was  also  administrator  of  the  Diocess  of  New 
Orleans,  which  had  been  for  many  years  without 
a Bishop.  On  the  division  of  his  vast  charge 
into  five  different  Diocesses,  and  the  erection  of 
his  own  See  into  an  archbishopric,  he  recommend- 
ed to  the  Holy  See  the  Rev.  M.  Nerinckx,  as  a 

• From  the  sketch  of  his  life  published  in  the  London  Catholic 
Miscellany,  quoted  in  a previous  chapter, 
t For  this  fact,  we  are  indebted  to  the  Very  Rev,  M.  Badin. 

N 


200  THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN ' 

suitable  person  to  take  charge  of  the  vacant  Dio- 
cess  of  New  Orleans,  in  the  character  of  adminis- 
trator. The  Sovereign  Pontiff  acceded  to  his  re- 
quest, and  despatched  a brief  to  that  effect.  The 
appointment  of  M.  Nerinckx  to  this  situation  was 
intended  as  the  forerunner  of  his  consecration  as 
Bishop  of  New  Orleans. 

The  good  missionary  was  with  M.  Badin  when 
he  learned  the  news  of  his  appointment.  He 
meekly  bowed  his  head,  and  observed  to  his 
friend,  beginning  with  the  words  of  the  Psalmist: 
“Bonitatem  et  disciplinam  et  scientiam  docendus, 
docere  non  valeo” — “Having  myself  to  be  taught 
goodness,  and  discipline,  and  knowledge,  I am 
not  able  to  teach  these  things  to  others.”  He 
mildly,  but  firmly  refused  the  proffered  honor. 
Desirous  of  retaining  him  in  Kentucky,  where 
his  labours  were  so  fruitful,  M.  Badin,  in  con- 
junction with  the  Dominican  Fathers  of  St.  Rose, 
petitioned  the  Holy  See,  that  he  might  not  be 
compelled  to  accept  an  office,  which  would  tear 
him  from  a field  of  labour  in  which  he  had  al- 
ready proved  so  eminently  useful.  They  also 
represented,  that  the  great  delicacy  of  conscience 
characteristic  of  M.  Nerinckx,  would  render  him 
exceedingly  unhappy  in  so  arduous  a situation,  if 
it  would  not  wholly  unfit  him  for  its  responsible 
duties. 

The  Pontiff  yielded  to  the  entreaties  of  M.  Ner- 
inckx, thus  supported  by  the  suffrage  of  his  breth- 
ren in  the  ministry ; and  he  did  not  insist  on  his 
accepting  the  appointment.  When,  however,  the 
news  of  his  nomination  reached  his  old  parishion- 
ers of  Everbery  Meerbeke,  in  Flanders,  the  ladies 
of  the  parish  immediately  set  about  preparing  and 
making  up  a complete  suit  of  episcopal  ornaments, 
which  they  had  almost  ready  to  send  to  him, 


HIS  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH.  201 

when  they  received  the  intelligence  that  he  had 
firmly  refused  the  proffered  dignity. 

We  will  now  furnish  our  readers  with  a farther 
portrait  of  the  character  of  M.  Nerinckx,  drawn 
by  the  hand  of  his  Bishop,  in  the  letter  to  Bishop 
England  above  quoted.  It  will  be  perceived  that 
the  picture  is  perfect,  and  needs  no  retouching. 

“Nothing  could  exceed  the  devotion  of  M.  Ner- 
inckx  to  the  Holy  Sacrament  of  our  altars  ; in  this 
respect,  he  was  a model  for  every  clergyman.  In 
his  churches,  you  saw  only  plainness  except  about 
the  altar;  but  his  devotion  led  him  to  aim  at  mag- 
nificence in  this  place,  especially  as  regarded  the 
tabernacle,  which  was  to  contain  the  Holy  of  Ho- 
lies. Every  thing  connected  with  the  Holy  Mys- 
teries called  forth  the  exercise  of  this  devotion. 
Never  did  he  permit  a day  to  pass  without  celebrat- 
ing Mass,  unless  grievously  ill,  or  engaged  in  a 
long  journey ; and  a rule  of  his  monasteries  is,  to 
keep  up,  even  during  the  night,  the  perpetual  ado- 
ration, by  a succession  of  two  sisters  to  two  sisters, 
before  the  Holy  Sacrament,  to  pay  their  homage 
to  the  God  who  loved  us  so  dearly,  as,  after  having 
suffered  death  for  us,  to  give  us,  under  the  sacra- 
mental veils,  His  flesh  to  eat:  and  to  repair, in 
some  degree,  the  disrespect,  with  which  this  Sa- 
crament is  treated  by  the  ingratitude  of  the  human 
race.” 

The  Bishop  continues : “This  good  man  had 
also  great  filial  piety  to  Mary,  the  Mother  of  Jesus, 
and  he  desired  to  excite  this  affection  for  the  Mo  - 
ther  of  our  Saviour  in  all  those  with  whom  he 
had  any  intercourse.  He  admired  her  spirit  of  pa- 
tient love  and  resignation  in  sufferings,  especially 
when  she  beheld  her  dearly  beloved — her  Creator 
and  her  Son — upon  that  Cross,  at  the  foot  of 
which  she  was  weeping.  Often  did  the  pious 
n 2 


202  THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN  I 

ejaculation,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  teaching 
to  others,  escape  from  his  own  lips:  “Oh!  suffer- 
ing Jesus  ! Oh ! sorrowful  Mary !”  In  all  the 
churches  which  he  attended,  he  established  the 
Society  of  the  Holy  Rosary,  and  the  Confraternity 
and  Sisterhood  of  the  Scapular ; ‘and  almost  all 
the  Catholics  of  his  congregations,  are  still  enroll- 
ed in  one  or  more  of  those  pious  societies. 

“Nothing  could  be  more  edifying  than  his  piety 
towards  the  dead.  It  is  quite  impossible  to  pass 
by  any  of  the  numerous  cemeteries  which  he  has 
laid  out,  without  feeling  deep  sentiments  of  reli- 
gion, and  having  a sweet  sensation  of  deep  melan- 
choly blended  with  the  hope  of  the  Christian.  In 
the  midst  of  each  abode  of  the  dead  is  reared  the 
glorious  emblem  of  the  Christian’s  faith,  a large 
cross,  surrounded  by  a balustrade,  for  the  conve- 
nience of  the  pious  friends  who  came  to  pray  for 
their  departed  brethren.  At  the  head  of  each 
grave,  you  also  find  the  emblematic  cross,  inscrib- 
ed with  the  dates  of  the  birth,  death,  and  the 
name  of  the  brother  or  sister,  whose  bones  are 
there  laid  up  in  the  hope  of  the  resurrection.  . . . 
He  never  permitted  a week  to  pass  without  offer- 
ing up  the  Mass  for  the  repose  of  the  departed.  . . 

“His  love  for  retirement  was  such,  that  he  never 
paid  a visit  of  mere  ceremony.  Indeed,  he  never 
visited,  except  when  the  good  of  his  neighbour  or 
the  duty  of  his  ministry  made  it  obligatory  on 
him  to  do  so.  His  watchings,  even  during  his 
longest  and  most  painful  journeys,  were  very  long, 
and  were  always  spent  either  in  study  or  in  prayer. 
Prayer  appeared  to  be  his  greatest,  and  only  so- 
lace, in  the  midst  of  his  continual  labours.” 

Among  the  establishments  made  by  M.  Ner- 
inckx,  that  of  the  Sisters  of  Loretto,  or  of  “the 
Friends  of  Mary  at  the  foot  of  the  Cross,”  is  the 


HIS  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH. 


203 


principal ; and  has  proved  of  the  greatest  benefit 
to  the  Diocess  of  Kentucky.  His  objects  in 
founding  this  invaluable  Sisterhood  were  : to  en- 
able pious  females  to  aspire  to  the  lofty  perfection 
of  the  religious  state,  and  to  promote,  through 
their  means,  the  Christian  education  of  youth  of 
their  own  sex,  especially  of  those  whose  parents 
were  needy  and  too  destitute  to  defray  the  ex- 
penses attending  the  education  of  their  offspring. 

In  the  course  of  his  long  missionary  career,  M. 
Nerinckx  discovered  many  young  females  who 
sought  to  practice  a more  perfect  virtue  than  was 
campatible  with  the  distractions  of  the  world. 
They  had  caught  no  little  of  his  own  spirit  of 
prayer,  of  disengagement  from  the  world,  and  of 
lofty  enthusiasm  in  the  path  of  Christian  perfec- 
tion. He  observed,  too,  many  young  girls  who 
were  raised  in  ignorance,  and  greatly  exposed  to 
temptation.  He  devised  an  admirable  means  of 
promoting  the  spiritual  welfare  of  both  these  class- 
es of  females,  in  the  establishment  of  the  new 
Sisterhood  of  Loretto — which  name  he  gave  them 
out  of  reverence  for  the  famous  shrine  of  the  Vir- 
gin, at  Loretto  in  Italy.# 

The  foundation  of  the  new  society  was  laid  on 
the  25th  of  April,  1812; — nearly  a year  after  the 
arrival  of  Bishop  Flaget  in  Kentucky.  The  mo- 
ther establishment  was  called  Loretto,  and  was 
erected  on  Hardin’s  Creek,  near  the  church  of  St. 
Charles.  The  houses  were  built  of  wood,  and 
were  very  poorly  furnished.  They  were  erected 
on  one  side  of  an  oblong  inclosure,  in  the  centre 

* In  this  city,  the  faithful  pay  reverence  to  the  house  in  which 
the  Holy  Vii^in  lived  at  Nazareth.  The  identity  of  the  two 
houses  is  established  by  the  strongest  evidence.  See  the  learn- 
ed work  of  the  present  Bishop  of  St.  Louis,  “ On  the  Holy  House 
of  Loretto.  ” 

N 3 


5^04  THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN! 

of  which  was  reared  a large  wooden  cross.  The 
Chapel  of  the  Sisters  occupied  a Central  position  in 
the  buildings  which  stood  on  either  side.# 

The  number  of  those  who  attached  themselves 
to  the  new  institute  increased  every  year.  Soon 
the  buildings  Were  too  small  for  the  number  of 
applicants  ; and  the  pious  founder  Was  Under  the 
necessity  of  erecting  new  houses,  and  of  Creating 
branch  establishments  of  the  society.  In  twelve 
years  from  its  commencement,  the  number  of  Sis- 
ters exceeded  a hundred  ^ and  they  had  already 
under  their  charge  six  different  Schools  for  girls. 
In  the  letter  above  quoted,  Bishop  Flaget,  after 
having  denominated  the  Sisterhood  the  most  valu- 
able legacy  which  the  good  M.  Nerinekx  had  left 
to  his  Diocess,  speaks  as  follows  of  the  condition 
of  the  society,  in  1824,  immediately  after  the  death 
of  the  founder. 

“Their  number  is  over  one  hundred ; they  have 
charge  of  six  schools.  They  give  education  to 
Upwards  of  two  hundred  and  fifty  girls  yearly  in 
their  houses,  and  take  in  some  orphans  gratis . 
The  missionaries  generally  send  the  children 
Whom  they  wish  to  prepare  for  their  first  com- 
munion to  these  monasteries,  whenever  they  can, 
and  they,  as  well  as  the  boarders,  are  admirably 
well  instructed  in  all  that  may  be  useful,  both  for 
this  world,  and  for  eternity.” 

This  assiduous  attention  to  the  religious  instruc- 
tion of  girls  constituted,  in  fact,  the  principal  util- 
ity of  the  pious  society.  It  is  difficult  to  estimate 
how  much  it  has,  by  this  means,  contributed  to- 
wards fostering  and  sustaining  piety  in  this  Dio- 
cess. Within  the  first  ten  years  of  its  existence, 

* While  on  a visit  to  his  native  country,  M.  Nerinekx  had  a 
print  of  the  new  establishment  struck  off,  which  he  brought  with 
him  to  America* 


HIS  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH.  205 

the  Sisterhood  had  already  prepared  for  their  first 
communion  eight  hundred  young  ladies.  These 
afterwards  became  mothers  of  families,  and  were 
able  to  instruct  others ; and  thus  the  good  was 
perpetuated  from  generation  to  generation. 

M.  Nerinckx  watched  over  the  new  institution 
with  the  tender  solicitude  of  a parent.  He  de- 
voted to  the  spiritual  instruction  of  the  Sisters  and 
of  their  scholars,  all  the  time  he  could  spare  from 
the  heavier  duties  of  his  missionary  life.  He  en- 
deavoured to  infuse  into  them  his  own  spirit  of 
prayer  and  mortification.  He  laboured  assiduous- 
ly, both  by  word  and  example,  to  disengage  them 
entirely  from  the  world,  and  to  train  them  to  the 
practice  of  a sublime  Christian  perfection.  He 
ardently  sought  to  keep  alive  in  their  hearts  the 
true  spirit  of  the  religious  vocation  ; to  make  them 
despise  the  world,  trample  on  its  vanities,  and  de- 
vote themselves  wholly  to  the  service  of  God  and 
of  the  neighbour,  by  a faithful  compliance  with  the 
duties  growing  out  of  the  three  simple  vows,  of 
poverty,  chastity,  and  obedience,  they  had  taken. 

Especially  did  he  endeavour  to  impress  upon 
them  the  obligation  of  placing  implicit  leliance  on 
the  good  providence  of  God,  not  only  in  their 
spiritual,  but  also  in  all  their  temporal  concerns. 
A favorite  maxim  which  he  had  always  in  his 
heart,  and  frequently  on  his  lips,  was  embodied  in 
this  golden  saying : “do  not  abandon  Providence  ; 
and  He  will  never  abandon  you.”  How  would 
that  good  heavenly  Father,  who  “clothes  the  lilies 
of  the  field,  and  feeds  the  birds  of  the  air,”  aban- 
don those  who  had  put  all  their  trust  in  Him,  and 
had  devoted  themselves  entirely,  both  in  body  and 
soul,  to  His  service? 

In  fact,  this  unbounded  confidence  in  the  pro- 
vidence of  God,  was  almost  the  only  legacy  he 


206  the  rev.  m.  nerinckx  again: 

was  able  to  bequeath  to  the  Lorettines.  They 
had,  in  the  commencement  of  their  society,  but 
little  of  this  world’s  goods  to  depend  upon.  It 
was  not  difficult  for  them  to  practice  the  poverty 
which  they  had  vowed : they  were  already  ex- 
tremely poor  and  destitute  ; and  in  fulfilling  their 
vow,  they  had  but  to  love  and  submit  cheerfully  to 
that  which  was  a stern  necessity  of  their  con- 
dition. Their  houses  were  poor  and  badly  fur- 
nished ; their  clothing  was  of  the  plainest  kind ; 
and  their  food  was  of  the  coarsest. 

M.  Nerinckx  himself  set  them  the  example  of 
the  poverty  and  mortification  which  their  institute 
required  them  to  love,  as  well  as  to  practice.  Ac- 
cording to  the  testimony  of  his  Bishop,  “he  him- 
self led  an  extremely  austere  and  mortified  life ; 
his  dress,  his  lodging,  his  food,  was  poor ; and  he 
had  filled  his  monasteries  with  this  holy  spirit. 
Those  women  sought  for  poverty  in  every  thing  ; 
in  their  monasteries,  in  the  plain  simplicity  of 
their  chapels.  The  neatness,  the  cleanliness,  the 
simplicity  of  their  dwellings,  and  of  their  chapels, 
excited  the  wonder  of  their  visiters.”# 

To  keep  up  the  constant  practice  and  spirit  of 
prayer  in  their  houses,  M.  Nerinckx  inculcated, 
besides  regular  and  devout  attendance  at  all  the 
pious  exercises  of  the  community,  distributed 
throughout  the  day,  the  utility  of  raising  their 
hearts  to  God  by  a pious  aspiration  or  ejaculation, 
whenever  they  would  hear  the  clock  strike,  or 
would  pass  from  one  occupation  to  another. 

Especially  did  he  enjoin  upon  them  a tender 
devotion  to  the  Blessed  Virgin,  .weeping  at  the 
foot  of  the  cross,  and  a frequent  repetition  of  the 
pious  ejaculation:  “Oh!  suffering  Jesus!  Oh! 

• In  the  letter  to  Bishop  England,  above  quoted. 


HIS  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH.  207 

sorrowful  Mary!”  To  feed  and  keep  alive  the 
spirit  of  piety,  he  recommended  to  them  frequent 
visits  to  the  Holy  Sacrament  of  the  altar ; and  we 
have  already  seen  the  provision  which  he  made  to 
keep  up  the  perpetual  adoration  of  Jesus  Christ 
in  this,  the  greatest  mystery  of  His  undying  love 
for  mankind. 

To  foster  the  spirit  of  humility  and  mortifica- 
tion, he  recommended  manual  labour,  and  the  love 
of  being  employed  in  the  most  menial  offices  of 
the  house.  To  encourage  them  to  practice  these 
employments  with  cheerfulness  and  love,  he  point- 
ed to  the  lowly  life,  and  the  voluntary  hardships 
and  privations  of  the  Blessed  Saviour  ; and  to  the 
great  utility  of  such  mortifications,  for  the  atone- 
ment of  sin,  and  the  laying  up  of  abundant  merits 
in  heaven. 

This  austerity  was  apparent  in  the  body  of  rules 
which  he  drew  up  for  the  guidance  of  the  society. 
They  breathed  the  purest  spirit  of  Christian  per- 
fection ; but  experience  subsequently  demonstra- 
ted, that  some  of  them  were  too  rigid  for  health, 
and  ill-suited  to  the  nature  of  the  climate.  Of 
this  character  were,  the  great  exposure  of  the  Sis- 
ters to  every  inconvenience  of  weather,  while  la- 
bouring hard  in  the  fields,  or  forests,  and  the  prac- 
tice of  going  barefoot  during  a great  portion  of  the 
year.  As  we  have  said,  the  poverty  of  the  society 
at  its  commencement  compelled  hard  labour ; the 
other  practice  was  adopted,  with  many  others  of  a 
similar  nature,  to  cherish  a constant  spirit  of  mor- 
tification. But  these  more  rigid  regulations  were 
retrenched  from  the  rule  on  its  subsequent  revi- 
sion while  its  substance  and  spirit  were  fully  re- 
tained. 

The  heart  of  the  good  founder  was  consoled  by 
the  early  piety  and  fervor  of  the  Sisterhood. 


208  THE.  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGIAN  * 

These  appeared  to  enter  into  the  entire  spirit  of 
their  state,  and  to  correspond,  to  the  full,  with  his 
instructions.  According  to  the  testimony  of  the 
good  Bishop  Flaget,#  “they  were  the  edification 
of  all  who  knew  them:  and  their  singular  piety, 
and  their  penitential  lives  reminded  one  of  all  that 
we  have  read  of  the  ancient  monasteries  of  Pales- 
tine and  of  Thebais.” 

Thus  did  the  good  M.  Nerinckx,  alone  and  un- 
aided, except  by  Divine  Providence,  found  a soci- 
ety of  pious  ladies,  which  has  already  done,  and 
will  no  doubt  continue  to  do,  incalculable  good  to 
religion  in  this  Diocess.  M.  Nerinckx  succeeded 
in  doing,  what  M.  Badin  had  been  unable  to  ac- 
complish. The  latter,  with  intentions  and  views 
very  similar  to  those  afterwards  entertained  by  the 
former,  had  constructed  an  edifice  for  a monastery 
at  St.  Stephen’s  : but  before  it  could  be  completed, 
it  was  burned  down  by  accident,  and  thus  the 
whole  design  was  frustrated.  It  was  in  the  order 
of  Providence,  that  the  exertions  of  M.  Nerinckx 
should  be  crowned  with  better  success.  His  suc- 
cess, in  fact,  surpassed  his  own  most  sanguine  ex- 
pectations. The  branches  of  his  institution  year- 
ly multiplied,  and  soon  Kentucky  was  too  narrow 
a field  for  the  exercise  of  its  charity  and  zeal. 

The  good  founder  had  been  induced  to  send  a 
colony  of  the  Lorettines  to  Missouri ; and  he  had 
already  received  gratifying  accounts  of  the  success 
which  had  there  crowned  their  labours.  Though 
almost  exhausted  with  his  missionary  toils,  and 
worn  down  by  old  age,  he  yet  determined  to  pay 
a visit  to  this  distant  branch  of  the  society,  in 
order  to  encourage  the  Sisters  in  the  path  of  use- 
fulness on  which  they  had  entered. 


* Letter  before  quoted. 


HIS  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH.  209 

Another  principal  motive  of  his  journey  to  Mis- 
souri, was  an  ardent  desire  for  the  conversion  and 
civilization  of  the  Indians,  who  were  there  very 
numerous  at  that  time.  He  had  formed  a plan  to 
induce  the  heads  of  families  and  the  chiefs  of  the 
savage  tribes  to  send  their  children  to  the  schools 
of  the  society,  where  they  might  be  taught  the 
English  language,  the  elements  of  learning,  and 
especially  the  catechism.  This  he  conceived  to 
be  the  best  means  of  reclaiming  the  Indian  tribes; 
and,  in  fact,  it  was  but  a carrying  out  of  a favorite 
system  which  he  had  found  so  eminently  success- 
ful, both  in  Europe  and  in  America — that  of 
reaching  the  parents  through  the  piety  of  their 
children. 

This  was  the  last  journey  that  the  good  mis- 
sionary ever  performed.  He  died  in  the  midst  of 
it,  on  the  12th  of  August,  1824,  at  the  house  of  the 
Rev.  M.  Dahman,  parish  priest  of  St.  Genevieve. 
He  breathed  his  last,  while  closely  engaged  in  the 
labours  of  the  mission,  and  while  panting  for  new 
means  of  promoting  the  glory  of  God  and  the  sal- 
vation of  souls.  His  death  was  worthy  of  his  life. 
Calm,  patient,  collected,  and  resigned  to  the  will  of 
heaven ; praying  to  the  last,  and  longing  to  be 
freed  from  the  prison  of  the  body,  and  to  be  with 
Christ,  the  good  priest  bade  farewell  to  this  world, 
with  a confident  assurance  of  a blessed  immortal- 
ity in  the  next. 

The  fever  of  which  he  died  he  had  contracted 
in  the  discharge  of  his  missionary  duties.  The 
chief  circumstances  of  his  death  are  so  well  relat- 
ed by  Bishop  Flaget,  that  we  will  give  them  in  his 
own  words 


* Letter  before  quoted: 


210  THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN  : 

“After  the  arrival  of  M.  Nerinckx  at  the  resi- 
dence of  the  Sisters,  in  Missouri,  he  wrote  to  me 
a most  affecting  letter,  describing  the  good  they 
had  accomplished  in  that  Diocess,  and  the  hopes 
which  he  entertained  of  their  being  one  day  use- 
ful to  the  Indians.  Thence  he  went  to  visit  an 
establishment  of  Flemish  Jesuits,  which  is  pretty 
numerous,  and  about  ninety  miles  distant  from  the 
monastery.  After  spending  some  days  of  edify- 
ing fervour  in  the  midst  of  those  holy  and  be- 
loved countrymen  of  his,  he  set  out  on  his  return 
to  the  monastery,  and  thence  intended  coming  to 
Kentucky.  Near  St.  Louis,  he  had  an  interview 
with  an  Indian  chief,  who  promised  to  send  him 
a great  number  of  the  young  females  of  his  tribe 
to  be  educated  by  the  Sisters.  He  made  haste  to 
carry  this  news  to  the  monastery,  and  his  heart 
burned  within  him,  whilst  his  imagination  pictur- 
ed to  itself  the  good  prospect  which  lay  open  to 
his  hopes. 

“On  his  road,  however,  was  a path  to  a settle- 
ment of  eight  or  ten  Catholic  families,  who  had 
not  seen  a priest  during  more  than  two  years.  De- 
sirous of  doing  all  the  good  in  his  power,  he  as- 
sembled them,  heard  their  confessions,  gave  them 
instructions,  and  celebrated  for  them  the  Holy 
Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  He  was  thus  occupied, 
from  a little  after  day-break,  until  towards  three 
o’clock  in  the  evening.  Seeing  the  good  disposi- 
tions of  those  Catholics,  he  proposed  to  them  to 
build  a church,  in  order  to  encourage  priests  to 
come  to  them:  a subscription  was  immediately 
opened  by  those  present ; out  of  his  own  small 
means  he  gave  ten  dollars  ; and  signatures  for  over 
nine  hundred  dollars  were  instantly  affixed  to  the 
sheet. 


m9  ESTABLISHMENTS  AND  DEATH.  211 

“After  all  this  exertion  in  such  broiling  weather, 
he  felt  feverish  symptoms.  These  continued  next 
day,  but  apparently  much  diminished.  He  wished 
to  go  to  St.  Genevieve,  which  was  only  fifteen  or 
eighteen  miles  distant;  and  though  the  journey 
was  short,  still  the  exertion  and  the  burning  sun 
greatly  increased  the  fever.  The  pastor  of  St. 
Genevieve  (M.  Dahman)  received  him  with  great 
kindness  and  affection.  He  was  obliged  to  betake 
himself  immediately  to  bed  ; the  physicians  came 
promptly,  and  paid  him  every  attention ; but  to  no 
purpose. 

“M.  Nerinckx  was,  I trust,  in  the  eye  of  God, 
ripe  for  heaven ; and  his  Lord  saw  that  it  was 
time  to  bestow  Upon  his  faithful  servant  the  re- 
compense of  his  labours.  He  had  the  use  of  his 
reason  to  the  last,  and  edified  all  who  saw  him  by 
his  piety  and  patience.  On  the  ninth  day  of  his 
sickness,  about  nine  in  the  morning,  he  received 
the  Holy  Viaticum  and  Extreme  Unction,  after 
having  made  his  confession  ; and  about  five  in  the 
evening,  he  breathed  out  his  pure  soul  to  return 
to  its  Creator,  with  entire  resignation,  and  without 
a struggle.  The  Lorettines  in  Missouri  requested 
to  have  his  body,  which  was  accordingly  conveyed 
to  their  cemetery  from  St.  Genevieve.” 

The  transfer  of  his  remains  to  this  monastery  of 
Bethlehem,  (Mo.)  was  made  by  the  direction  of 
Bishop  Rosati,  who  had  arrived  at  St.  Genevieve 
on  the  morning  after  the  death  of  the  good  mis- 
sionary. He  assisted  at  his  funeral  service,  which 
was  performed  with  great  solemnity.* 

* In  a letter  addressed  to  a friend  in  France,  shortly  after  the 
death  of  M.  Nerinckx,  M.  Odin — the  present  devoted  Vicar 
Apostolic  of  Texas— gives  some  highly  interesting  details  on  the 
last  visit  of  M.  Nerinckx  to  Missouri.  In  the  simplicity  of  his 
heart,  he  exclaims : “Oh!  how  I loved  to  be  with  him!  He 


212  THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX  AGAIN: 

M.  Nerinckx  had  reached  his  63rd  year;  and, 
during  the  last  forty  years  of  his  life,  he  had  la- 
boured for  the  glory  of  God  and  the  good  of  his 
neighbour,  with  a constancy,  an  activity,  and  a 
zeal,  seldom  equalled,  never,  perhaps,  surpassed. 
His  whole  life  had  been  one  continued  voluntary 
martyrdom  and  holocaust.  He  contemned  this 
world,  and  panted  only  for  heaven ; but  he  ar- 
dently wished  to  go  to  paradise  with  a numerous 
escort  of  souls,  whom  he  had  been  instrumental  in 
rescuing  from  perdition,  and  leading  to  salvation. 
This  thought  seemed  to  engross  his  whole  mind 
and  soul : and  his  life  was  but  a carrying  of  it  out. 
That  God,  whom  he  served  so  long  and  so  faith- 
fully, has  no  doubt  long  since  crowned  these  lofty 
aspirations  of  His  humble  and  heroic  servant. 

A little  before  his  death,  M.  Nerinckx  had  in- 
tended to  found  also  a religious  Brotherhood, 
bound  together  by  the  ordinary  vows  of  poverty, 
chastity,  and  obedience ; and  wholly  devoted,  like 
the  Lorettines,  to  the  service  of  God  and  the  good 
of  the  neighbour.  He  had  even  begun  this  estab- 
lishment, and  had  already  received  into  it  some 
members,  one  of  whom,  James  Vanrissalberghe, 
accompanied  him  on  his  last  journey  to  Missouri, 
and  assisted  him  in  his  last  illness.  But  death 
cut  short  his  design  in  this  respect:  and,  deprived 
of  its  founder,  the  Brotherhood  soon  ceased  to 
exist. 

In  the  year  1833,  his  remains  were  translated  to 
Kentucky,  and  deposited  in  a suitable  monument 

prescribed  for  me  all  sorts  of  little  practices  for  the  advance- 
ment of  souls,  communicated  to  me  all  that  his  own  experience 
had  discovered  to  be  most  advantageous  for  the  conversion  of 
heretics  ; and  above  all,  he  spoke  to  me  frequently  of  the  Bless- 
ed Virgin,”  See  "Annales  de  la  Prop,  de  la  Foy” — vol.  2, 
p.  369. 


HIS  ESTABLISHMEFT3  AND  DEATH.  213 

erected  at  Loretto,  the  mother  house  of  the  Loret- 
tines.  This  monument  stands  in  the  centre  of  the 
conventual  graveyard.  “The  base  of  it  is  a paral- 
lelogram, about  six  feet  long,  by  three  wide.  It  is 
built  with  brick,  covered  with  a plain  oak  plank, 
painted  and  sanded  in  imitation  of  stone,  and  sur- 
mounted by  a large  urn.  On  each  side  of  the 
brick  work  is  a projecting  tablet,  on  which  is  en- 
graved one  of  the  inscriptions  that  follow : 

‘In  memory  of  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx,  a native 
of  Flanders,  who  died  Aug’t.  12th,  1824,  in  Mis- 
souri. His  remains  were  translated  to  Kentucky 
in  1833,  by  brother  Charles  Gilbert,  at  the  request 
of  the  Loretto  Society,  and  interred  at  this  place 
by  the  Rt.  Rev.  Bishop  Flaget,  and  the  Rev.  G.  I. 
Chabrat,  Superior  of  the  Society. 

‘M.  Nerinckx  came  to  Kentucky  in  1805,  and 
devoted  himself  zealously  to  that  laborious  mis- 
sion, during  which  time  he  was  nominated  to  the 

• After  the  death  of  the  good  founder  of  the  Lorettines,  the 
Rev.  G.  I.  Chabrat  was  appointed  their  superior,  by  the  Bishop; 
and  he  continued  to  discharge  this  office  until  he  was  named 
Coadjutor  Bishop  of  the  Diocess.  The  society  continued  to  in- 
crease and  to  flourish  under  his  administration.  This  will  ap- 
pear from  the  following  account  of  its  present  condition,  for 
which  we  are  indebted  to  notes  kindly  furnished  us  by  one  of  the 
present  Superiors  of  Loretto. 

The  Society  now  has  ten  different  establishments,  of  which 
five  are  in  the  State  of  Kentucky,  three  in  Missouri,  and  two  in. 
Arkansas.  The  total  number  of  members,  including  novices, 
is  179  ; of  whom  55  or  60  are  attached  to  the  establishments  in 
Missouri  and  Arkansas.  These  last  are  all  subject  to  the  mo- 
ther house  of  Loretto  in  Kentucky,  in  which  latter  there  are  at 
present  between  30  and  40  Sisters.  Since  the  establishment  of 
the  society,  in  1812,  the  total  number  of  deceased  members  has 
been  65.  All  the  establishments  have  schools  attached  to  them, 
in  which  at  present  more  than  200  young  ladies  are  annually 
educated;  though,  in  consequence  of  the  pecuniary  difficulties 
of  the  times,  this  number  is  not  so  great  as  it  was  some  years 
ago.  The  society  continues  to  prepare  a great  many  young  la- 
dies for  their  first  communion  every  year;  and  nearly  20  orphans 


214  THE  REV.  M.  NERINCKX,  &C. 

Diocess  of  New  Orleans,  but  he  refused  that  digni- 
ty ; and  in  1812,  with  the  approbation  of  the  Holy 
See,  instituted  the  Lorettines,  or  Friends  of  Mary, 
and  died  in  performing  the  visitation  of  the  Order, 
at  St.  Genevieve,  Missouri,  aged  63.’ 

“One  of  the  end  tablets  has : ‘Requiescat  in 
pace:’  and  on  the  other  end  tablets  are  these 
words  : ‘Loretto’s  mite  of  esteem  and  veneration 
for  its  founder.’  ‘Do  not  forsake  Providence,  and 
He  will  never  forsake  you.  C.  N.’ — this  being  a 
favourite  saying  of  his  to  the  nuns,  at  a time  when 
Providence  was  almost  their  only  dependence  for 
the  next  day’s  dinner. 

Such  was  the  life,  such  the  death,  and  such  the 
establishments,  of  the  Rev.  Charles  Nerinckx,  one 
of  the  very  best  priests  who  ever  laboured  on  the 
arduous  missions  of  America. 

are  sheltered  and  reared  in  its  'various  establishments.  A novi- 
ciate was  recently  established  at  the  mother  house,  in  which 
there  are  at  present  10  novices,  besides  several  postulants.  The 
Jesuit  Fathers  of  St.  Mary’s  College  are  now  the  spiritual  di- 
rectors of  the  mother  house.  Such  is  the  present  condition  of 
the  Society. 

* A writer  in  the  Catholic  Telegraph,  giving  an  account  of 
the  life  of  M.  Nerinckx,  and  of  a visit  to  his  tomb  at  Loretto. 
See  Catholic  Advocate,  vol.  3.  p.  10. 


CHAPTER  XIII. 


Father  David — His  Early  Life — The  Theological 
Seminary . 


Father  David — His  parentage  and  early  youth— He  studies  tor 
the  Church — And  is  ordained— Joins  the  Sulpicians — Is  forced 
to  fly  from  France — Sails  for  America — Becomes  a missionary 
in  Maryland — Gives  Retreats  with  great  fruit — Resides  in 
Georgetown  College — And  in  Baltimore — Accompanies  Bishop 
Flaget  to  Kentucky — Founds  our  Theological  Seminary — Its 
early  history  sketched — Virtues  and  labours  of  the  Seminarians 
— Instructions  and  maxims  of  Father  David — His  character — 
His  missionary  labours. 

We  have  already  had  occasion  to  mention  Fa- 
ther David,  the  intimate  friend  and  associate,  and 
the  indefatigable  co-labourer  of  the  venerable 
Bishop  Flaget.  We  must  now  speak  more  in  de- 
tail of  his  early  life,  and  of  his  invaluable  ser- 
vices to  the  church  of  Kentucky.  The  history  of 
his  life  and  labours  is,  in  fact,  intimately  connect- 
ed with  that  of  religion  in  our  Diocess  ; without 
the  former,  the  latter  were  meagre  and  incomplete 
indeed.  The  church  of  Kentucky  owes  him  a 
great  debt  of  gratitude,  which  will  be  best  paid  by 
treasuring  up  in  the  memory,  and  reducing  to 
practice, his  many  holy  instructions  and  exempla- 
ry virtues.# 

• For  many  of  the  facts  connected  with  the  early  life  of  Fa- 
ther David,  we  are  indebted  to  an  excellent  biographical  notice 
of  him,  written  by  an  eminent  ecclesiastic,  and  published  in 
the  Catholic  Advocate,  vol.  vi,  p.  268.  seq. 


216 


FATHER  DAVID. 


John  Baptist  M.  David  was  born  in  1761,  in  a 
little  town  on  the  river  Loire,  in  France,  between 
the  cities  of  Nantes  and  Angers.  His  parents  were 
pious,  exemplary,  and  ardently  attached  to  the 
faith  of  their  fathers.  Though  not  wealthy,  they 
were  yet  blessed  with  a competence  for  their  own 
support  and  for  the  education  of  their  offspring. 
Sensible  of  the  weighty  responsibility  which  rests 
on  Christian  parents,  in  regard  to  those  tender 
ones  whom  heaven  has  entrusted  to  their  charge, 
they  determined  to  spare  no  pains  nor  expense  that 
might  be  necessary  for  the  Christian  education  of 
their  children. 

Young  John  Baptist  gave  early  evidences  of 
deep  piety,  of  solid  talents,  and  of  an  ardent  thirst 
for  learning.  At  the  age  of  seven  he  was  placed 
under  the  care  of  an  uncle,  a pious  priest,  who 
willingly  took  charge  of  his  early  education.  By 
this  good  priest  he  was  taught  the  elements  of  the 
French  and  Latin  languages,  and  also  those  of 
music,  for  which  he  manifested  great  taste.  He 
was  enrolled  in  the  number  of  enfants  de  chceur, 
or  of  the  boys  who  served  at  the  altar,  and  sung 
in  the  choir.  He  thus  passed  the  first  years  of 
his  life  in  the  church,  where  he  was  reared  up 
under  the  very  shadow  of  the  sanctuary. 

At  the  age  of  fourteen,  he  was  sent  by  his  pa- 
rents to  a neighbouring  College,  conducted  by  the 
Oratorian  priests.  Here  he  distinguished  himself 
for  regularity,  close  application  to  his  studies,  solid 
talents,  and,  above  all,  for  a sincere  piety,  which 
soon  won  him  the  esteem  and  love  of  both  pro- 
fessors and  fellow-students.  But  what  all  admir- 
ed in  him  most  was  that  sincerity  and  candour  of 
soul,  which  formed  throughout  his  long  life  the 
distinctive  trait  in  his  character. 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


217 


From  his  earliest  childhood,  the  young  John 
Baptist  had  manifested  an  ardent  desire  to  embrace 
the  ecclesiastical  state,  that  he  might  thus  devote 
his  whole  life  to  the  service  of  God  and  of  the 
neighbour,  in  the  exercise  of  the  holy  ministry. 
His  parents  were  delighted  with  these  disposi- 
tions of  their  son  ; and  to  second  his  purpose,  they 
sent  him  to  the  Diocesan  Seminary  of  Nantes. 
Here  he  entered  with  ardour  on  his  sacred  studies, 
in  which  he  made  solid  proficiency.  In  the  year 
1778,  the  eighteenth  of  his  age,  he  received  the 
tonsure,  and,  two  years  later,  the  minor  orders, 
from  the  hands  of  the  Bishop  of  Angers. 

In  the  Theological  Seminary  he  remained  for 
about  four  years,  during  which  he  completed  his 
course  of  studies,  and  took  with  honour  the  de- 
grees of  Bachelor  and  Master  of  Arts.  In  the 
twenty-second  year  of  his  age,  after  having  duly 
prepared  himself  by  a retreat  of  eight  days,  he 
bound  himself  irrevocably  to  the  sacred  ministry, 
by  receiving  the  holy  order  of  subdeaconship. 
He  now  considered  himself  as  belonging  wholly 
to  God  ; and  throughout  the  remainder  of  his  life 
he  never  regretted  nor  recalled  that  first  act  of  en- 
tire consecration,  by  which  he  had  bound  himself 
for  ever  to  the  service  of  the  altar. 

Shortly  after  he  had  taken  this  important  step, 
with  the  advice  of  his  superiors,  he  yielded  to  the 
earnest  solicitation  of  one  among  the  most  wealthy 
and  respectable  citizens  of  Nantes,  and  became, 
for  some  years,  private  tutor  in  his  family.  Ac- 
customed to  enter  heartily  into  every  thing  he  un- 
dertook, he  discharged  this  duty  with  such  assidu- 
ity and  zeal,  as  to  win  the  respect  of  the  parents 
and  the  love  of  the  children  under  his  charge. 
On  the  recent  visit  of  Bishop  Flaget  to  France, 
one  of  these  came  to  him  to  enquire  about  his  old 


218 


FATHER  DAVID. 


preceptor,  for  whom  he  manifested  feelings  of  love 
and  gratitude  which  long  years  had  not  weakened 
nor  diminished. 

M.  David  was  ordained  deacon  in  the  year  1783; 
and,  having  shortly  afterwards  determined  to  join 
the  pious  congregation  of  Sulpicians,  he  went  to 
Paris,  #nd  remained  for  two  years  in  the  solitude 
of  Issy,  to  complete  his  theological  studies,  and  to 
prepare  himself,  by  retirement  and  prayer,  for  the 
awful  dignity  of  the  priesthood.  During  this 
time,  he  edified  all  by  his  exemplary  virtues,  by 
his  assiduity  in  study,  and  by  the  punctual  regu- 
larity with  which  he  attended  to  every  duty  of  the 
seminarian.  He  was  raised  to  the  priesthood  on 
the  24th  of  September,  1785. 

Early  in  the  year  following,  he  was  sent  by  his 
superiors  to  the  Theological  Seminary  of  Angers, 
then  under  the  direction  of  the  Sulpicians.  Here 
he  remained  for  about  four  years,  discharging  with 
industry  and  ability,  the  duties  of  Professor  of 
Philosophy,  Theology,  and  the  Holy  Scriptures  : 
always  enforcing  his  lessons  by  his  good  example. 
At  length  the  storm  of  the  French  Revolution 
broke  over  Angers ; and,  late  in  the  year  1790, 
the  seminary  was  seized  on  by  the  revolutionary 
troops,  and  converted  into  an  arsenal.  The  pro- 
fessors and  students  were  compelled  to  fly  for  their 
lives  ; and  M.  David  took  shelter  in  a private  fami- 
ly. In  this  retreat  he  spent  his  time  in  study,  and 
in  constant  prayer  to  God,  for  light  to  guide  him 
in  this  emergency,  and  for  His  powerful  aid  and 
protection  to  abridge  the  horrors  of  a revolution 
which  was  every  where  sacrificing  the  lives  of  the 
ministers  of  God,  and  threatening  the  very  exist- 
ence of  the  Catholic  Church  in  France. 

After  nearly  two  years  spent  in  this  retirement, 
he  determined,  with  the  advice  of  his  superiors, 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY.  219 

to  sail  for  America,  and  to  devote  the  remainder  of 
his  life  to  its  infant  and  struggling  missions.  As 
we  have  already  stated,  he  embarked  for  America 
in  1792,  in  the  company  of  MM.  Flaget  and  Badin. 
On  the  voyage  he  applied  himself  with  such  as- 
siduity to  the  study  of  the  English  language,  as 
to  have  already  mastered  its  principal  difficulties, 
ere  he  set  foot  on  American  soil.  This  is  but  one 
in  a long  chain  of  facts,  which  prove  that  he  made 
it  an  invariable  rule  never  to  be  idle,  and  never  to 
lose  a moment  of  his  precious  time. 

Very  soon  after  his  arrival  in  the  United  States, 
Bishop  Carroll  ascertained  that  he  knew  enough 
of  English  to  be  of  service  on  the  missions,  and 
he  accordingly  sent  him  to  attend  to  some  Cath- 
olic congregations  in  the  lower  part  of  Maryland. 
M.  David  had  been  but  four  months  in  America, 
when  he  preached  his  first  sermon  in  English ; 
and  he  had  the  consolation  to  find,  that  he  was 
not  only  well  understood,  but  that  his  discourse 
made  a deep  impression  on  his  hearers.  For 
twelve  years  he  laboured  with  indefatigable  zeal 
on  this  mission,  in  which  he  attended  to  the  spirit- 
ual wants  of  three  numerous  congregations.  He 
was  cheered  by  the  abundant  fruits  with  which 
God  every  where  blessed  his  labours. 

Feeling  that  mere  transient  preaching  is  gene- 
rally of  but  little  permanent  utility,  he  resolved  to 
commence  regular  courses  of  instruction  in  the 
form  of  Retreats  and  so  great  was  his  zeal  and 
industry,  that  he  gave  four  Retreats  every  year  to 
each  of  his  congregations.  The  first  was  for  the 
benefit  of  the  married  men  ; the  second,  for  that 
of  the  married  women ; the  third  and  fourth,  for 

* As  far  as  our  information  extends,  he  seems  to  have  been 
the  first  clergyman  in  the  United  States  who  adopted  a practice, 
which  has  since  proved  so  beneficial  to  religion, 
o 2 


220 


FATHER  DAVID. 


that  of  the  boys  and  girls.  To  each  of  these 
classes  he  gave  separate  sets  of  instructions,  adapt- 
ed to  their  respective  capacities  and  wants. 

His  discourses  were  plain  in  their  manner,  and 
solid  and  thorough  in  their  matter.  He  seldom 
began  to  treat,  without  exhausting  a subject.  At 
first,  but  few  attended  his  Retreats  : but  gradually 
the  number  increased,  so  as  to  embrace  almost  all 
the  members  of  his  congregations.  But  he  ap- 
peared to  preach  with  as  much  zeal  and  earnest- 
ness to  the  few,  as  to  the  many.  He  was  often 
heard  to  say,  that  the  conversion  or  spiritual  profit 
of  even  one  soul,  was  sufficient  to  enlist  all  the 
zeal,  and  to  call  forth  all  the  energies  of  the 
preacher. 

Great  were  the  effects,  and  most  abundant  the 
fruits,  of  M.  David’s  labours  on  the  missions  of 
Maryland.  On  his  arrival  among  them,  he  {bund 
his  congregations  cold  and  neglectful  of  their 
Christian  duties;  he  left  them  fervent  and  exem- 
plary. Piety  every  where  revived  ; the  children 
and  servants  made  their  first  communion ; the 
older  members  of  the  congregations  became  regu- 
lar communicants.  Few  that  were  instructed  by 
him  could  soon  forget  their  duty ; so  great  was  the 
impression  he  left,  and  so  thorough  was  the  course 
of  instruction  he  gave.  To  the  portion  of  Maryland , 
in  which  he  thus  signalized  his  zeal,  he  bequeath- 
ed a rich  and  abundant  legacy  of  spiritual  bless- 
ings, which  was  destined  to  descend  from  genera- 
iton  to  generation  : and  the  good  people  of  those 
parts  still  exhibit  traces  of  his  zeal,  and  still  pro- 
nounce his  name  with  reverence  and  gratitude. 

In  the  year  1804,  Bishop  Carroll  found  it  neces- 
sary to  recall  M.  David  from  the  missions,  in 
order  to  send  him  to  Georgetown  College,  which 
was  then  greatly  in  need  of  his  services,  The 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY.  221 

good  missionary  promptly  obeyed  the  call,  and  for 
two  years  discharged,  in  that  institution , the  duties 
of  professor,  with  his  accustomed  fidelity  and 
ability. 

In  1S06,  the  Sulpicians  of  Baltimore  expressed 
a wish  to  enlist  his  services  in  the  Theological 
Seminary  and  the  College  of  St.  Mary’s  under 
their  direction  in  that  city.  M.  David  belonged 
to  this  body,  and  he  promptly  repaired  to  the  as- 
sistance of  his  brethren.  He  remained  in  Balti- 
more for  nearly  five  years,  discharging  various 
offices  in  the  institutions  just  named,  and  devot- 
ing all  his  leisure  time  to  the  duties  of  the  sacred 
ministry.  He  laboured  with  so  great  zeal  and 
constancy,  that  his  constitution,  naturally  robust, 
became  much  impaired.  Still,  he  was  not  dis- 
couraged, nor  did  he  give  himself  any  rest  or  re- 
laxation. A pure  intention  of  promoting  the 
honor  and  glory  of  God,  and  a constant  spirit  of 
prayer,  sustained  him,  and  hallowed  his  every 
action. 

When  his  intimate  friend,  the  Rev.  M.  Flaget, 
was  nominated  first  Bishop  of  Bardstown,  M. 
David,  as  we  have  already  seen,  cheerfully  offered 
himself  to  accompany  the  Bishop  to  his  new  Dio- 
cess  in  the  west.  Though  then  in  his  fiftieth 
year,  and  though  his  previous  hardships  had  great- 
ly weakened  his  health,  yet  his  zeal  had  not  abat- 
ed ; and  he  was  fully  prepared  to  shaie  with  his 
dear  friend  in  all  the  hardships  and  privations  of 
his  rugged  mission.  The  Bishop  gratefully  ac- 
cepted the  tender  of  his  services  ; and  cheerfully 
entered  into  the  design  of  M.  Emery,  the  venera- 
ble Superior  General  of  the  Sulpicians,  who  had 
already  named  him  Superior  of  the  Theological 
Seminary,  to  be  organized  for  the  new  Diocess  of 
Bardstown. 

o 3 


222 


FATTIER  DAVID. 


The  good  Bishop  judged  rightly,  that  he  could 
not  hope  permanently  to  supply  his  vast  Diocess 
with  missionaries  without  a Theological  Semina- 
ry, in  which  such  youth  of  the  country  as  mani- 
fested a vocation  for  the  ecclesiastical  state,  might 
be  diligently  trained  to  virtue  and  learning.  And 
he  could  not  have  chosen  a more  suitable  person 
than  the  Rev.  M.  David,  for  carrying  this  excel- 
lent plan  into  execution.  Reared  in  seminaries 
and  colleges  from  his  earliest  youth,  zealous,  la- 
borious, learned,  and  regular  in  all  his  habits,  M. 
David  was  the  very  man  for  founding  and  con- 
ducting with  success  a theological  seminary. 
For  doing  this  he  was,  besides,  blessed  with  a 
peculiar  talent ; and  he  entered  on  the  task  with  all 
the  ardour  of  his  soul.  The  infant  seminary  be- 
came the  object  of  all  his  thoughts — the  idol  of  his 
heart.  The  founder  of  our  Diocesan  Seminary, 
he  became  the  father  of  most  of  the  present  secu- 
lar clergy  of  Kentucky.  Long  and  deeply  will 
they  reverence  the  memory,  and  with  tender  love 
and  gratitude  will  they  continue  to  pronounce  the 
name,  of  FATHER  DAVID* 

We  will  endeavour  to  give  a rapid  sketch  of  the 
different  phases  in  the  history  of  the  Theological 
Seminary  founded  by  Father  David.  And  we 
cannot  do  it  better  than  in  the  words  of  the  vene- 
rable founder  himself, f to  whose  brief  and  sum- 
mary account  we  will  add  such  additional  details, 
derived  from  other  sources,  as  may  be  deemed  in- 
teresting to  the  reader. 

* This  is  the  title  by  which  he  was,  and  is  still  universally 
"known  in  Kentucky  ; and  never  was  a title  more  appropriate  or 
better  deserved. 

t From  the  letter  of  Father  David  quoted  in  the  preceding 
chapter. 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


223 


“Occupied  solely  with  the  wants  of  his  flock,” 
says  F.  David,  “the  principal  end  and  object  of 
Bishop  Flaget  was  the  foundation  of  a seminary. 
Without  this,  it  was  impossible  for  him  to  have  a 
clergy  sufficient  for  a Diocess  which  extended  to 
the  sources  of  the  Mississippi,  and  the  Lakes  of 
Canada.  He  arrived  in  Baltimore  in  July,  1810, 
accompanied  by  a subdeacon  and  two  young  lay- 
men, the  elements  of  his  seminary,  with  which  I 
had  been  already  charged  by  M.  Emery,  the  Supe- 
rior General  of  the  Sulpicians.  My  health  was 

then  in  as  bad  a condition  as  our  funds 

A Canadian  priest  had  joined  us;  and  the  boat  on 
which  we  descended  the  Ohio  became  the  cradle 
of  our  seminary  and  of  the  church  of  Kentucky.” 
He  then  gives  the  edifying  details  concerning 
the  religious  exercises  performed  on  the  boat,  and 
states  the  other  particulars  of  the  journey — all  of 
which  we  have  spread  before  our  readers  in  the 
preceding  chapter.  He  then  continues  : 

“There  (at  St.  Stephen’s,)  our  seminary  contin- 
ued its  exercises  for  five  months.  The  Bishop 
lived  in  a log  cabin,  which  had  but  one  room,  and 
vfas  called  the  ‘Episcopal  Palace.’  The  semina- 
rians lodged  in  another  cabin,  all  together,  and 
myself  in  a small  addition  to  the  principal  house. 
A good  Catholic, # who  had  laboured  for  sixteen 
years  to  make  an  establishment  for  the  church, 
then  bequeathed  to  the  Bishop  a fine  plantation  ;f 
and  in  November,  (1811,)  the  seminary  was  re- 
moved thither.  After  five  years,  we  finally  suc- 
ceeded in  building  a brick  church, J sixty-five  feet 
long,  by  thirty  wide.  The  interior  is  not  yet  suf- 
ficiently ornamented,  for  want  of  means ; it  is, 

* Mr.  Howard.  * The  present  farm  of  St.  Thomas'. 

JThat  of  St.  Thomas. 


224 


FATHER  DAVID. 


however,  in  a condition  sufficiently  decent  for  the 
celebration  of  the  Divine  Offices.  The  Bishop 
officiates  in  it  on  all  the  great  feasts,  and  in  it  three 
ordinations  have  already  taken  place.” 

He  next  proceeds  to  state,  that,  at  the  date  of 
his  letter — November,  1817 — there  were  at  St. 
Thomas’  fifteen  seminarians,  of  whom  five  were 
studying  theology,  and  of  whom  but  two  were  able 
to  pay  annually  the  sum  of  $50  each.  The  num- 
ber might  have  been  doubled,  if  the  means  of  the 
Bishop  had  allowed  him  to  receive  all  who  had 
applied  for  admission.  Notwithstanding  the  po- 
verty with  which  the  infant  institution  had  to 
struggle,  God  watched  over  it,  and  His  providence 
did  not  suffer  its  inmates  to  want  for  any  of  the 
necessaries  of  life. 

The  young  seminarians  corresponded  well  with 
the  parental  solicitude  of  their  good  Superior. 
They  caught  his  spirit,  and  entered  heartily  into 
all  his  plans  for  their  spiritual  welfare.  They 
united  manual  labour  with  study.  They  cheer- 
fully submitted  to  lead  a painful  and  laborious  life, 
in  order  to  fit  themselves  for  the  ministry,  and  to 
prepare  themselves  for  the  privations  they  were 
destined  to  endure  on  the  missions.  On  this 
subject,  we  will  translate  for  our  readers  a portion 
of  M.  Badin’s  account  of  the  early  missions  of 
Kentucky,  already  often  quoted  in  these  sketches.* 

“The  seminarians  made  bricks,  prepared  the 
mortar,  cut  wood,  &c.,  to  build  the  church  of  St. 
Thomas,  the  seminary,  and  the  convent  of  Naza- 
reth. The  poverty  of  our  infant  establishments 
compelled  them  to  spend  their  recreations  in  la- 
bour. Every  day  they  devoted  three  hours  to 
labour  in  the  garden,  in  the  fields,  or  in  the  woods. 

* Annales,”  &c.,  vol.  I.  No.  2.  p.  40.  note.  See  also  ibid, 
vol.  2.  p.  40,  for  Bishop  Flaget’s  testimony. 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


225 


Nothing  could  be  more  frugal  than  their  table, 
which  is  also  that  of  the  two  Bishops ,#  and  in 
which  water  is  their  ordinary  drink  ; nothing,  at 
the  same  time,  could  be  more  simple  than  their 
dress.” 

Father  David  continues  his  account  of  the  semi- 
nary, over  which  he  presided,  as  follows  : 

“We  have  at  length  succeeded,  thanks  to  God, 
in  building  a seminary  thirty  feet  square.  The 
second  story,  which  is  a garret,  serves  as  a dormi- 
tory, and  may  contain  twenty-five  persons : it  is 
habitable  in  winter.  For  about  a year  we  have 
been  able  to  give  in  it  hospitabity  to  twelve  per- 
sons belonging  to  the  suite  of  the  Bishop  of  Lou- 
isiana,f who  is  daily  expected  to  arrive  with  twen- 
ty-three other  companions.  These  will  be  lodg- 
ed with  difficulty ; but  our  hearts  will  dilate  with 
joy;  and  these  good  missionaries  will  perform 
with  us  an  apprenticeship  of  the  apostolic  life.” 

As  Superior  of  the  seminary,  Father  David  was 
a rigid  disciplinarian.  Both  by  word  and  by  ex- 
ample he  enforced  exact  regularity  in  all  the  exer- 
cises of  the  house.  He  was  himself  always 
amongst  the  first  at  every  duty.  Particularly  was 
he  indefatigable  in  discharging  the  duty  of  in- 
structing the  young  candidates  for  the  ministry  in 
the  sublime  maxims  of  Christian  perfection.  He 
seemed  never  to  grow  weary  of  this  occupation. 
A thorough  master  of  the  interior  life  himself,  it 
was  his  greatest  delight  to  conduct  others  into  the 
same  path  of  holiness.  He  was  not  satisfied  with 
laying  down  general  principles  : he  entered  into 
the  most  minute  details,  with  a zeal  equalled  only 
by  his  patience. 

♦ This  was  written  in  1822,  after  the  consecration  of  Father 
David. 

t Bishop  Dubourg. 


226 


FATHER  DAVID. 


He  sought  to  inspire  the  young  seminarians 
with  an  ardent  desire  of  aspiring  to  perfection  ; 
and  of  doing  all  their  actions  for  the  honour  and 
glory  of  God.  To  arouse  and  stimulate  their  zeal, 
he  often  dwelt  on  the  sublime  grandeur  of  the 
ministry,  which  he  delighted  to  paint  as  a co-op- 
eration with  Christ  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  A 
favourite  passage  of  the  Holy  Scriptures  with  him, 
was  that  containing  the  words  of  our  Blessed  Lord 
to  his  Apostles : “I  have  placed  you,  that  you 
may  go,  and  bring  forth  fruit,  and  that  your  fruit 
may  remain  as  also  this  other  declaration  of 
the  Saviour : “I  have  come  to  cast  fire  upon  the 
earth,  and  what  will  I but  that  it  be  kindled?”f 

Though  he  sometimes  rebuked  faults  with  some 
severity,  yet  he  had  a tender  and  parental  heart, 
which  showed  itself  on  all  occasions.  For  all  the 
seminarians  he  cherished  feelings  of  the  most  pa- 
ternal affection.  It  was  his  greatest  happiness  to 
see  them  advance  in  learning  and  improve  in  vir- 
tue. He  rejoiced  with  those  who  rejoiced,  and 
wept  with  those  who  wept.  No  one  ever  went  to 
him  for  advice  or  consolation  in  vain.  As  a con- 
fessor, few  could  surpass  him  in  zeal,  in  patience, 
in  tenderness.  But  what  most  Avon  him  the  es- 
teem, confidence,  and  love  of  all  under  his  charge, 
was  his  great  sincerity  and  candour,  in  every 
thing.  All  who  were  acquainted  with  him,  not 
only  believed,  but  felt,  that  he  was  wholly  incapa- 
ble of  deceiving  them  in  the  least  thing. 

He  was  ahvays  even  better  than  his  word  : he 
was  sparing  of  promises,  and  lavish  in  his  efforts 
to  redeem  them  when  made.  If  he  rebuked  the 
faults  of  others,  he  was  free  to  avow  his  own  ; 
and  more  than  once  have  we  heard  him  publicly 


* St.  John  xv.  16. 


t St.  Luke.  xii.  49*. 


THE  THEOLOGICAL  SEMINARY. 


227 


acknowledging  his  imperfections,  and  with  tears 
imploring  pardon  of  those  under  his  control  for 
whatever  pain  he  might  have  unnecessarily  caus- 
ed them.  He  was  in  the  constant  habit  of  speak- 
ing whatever  he  thought,  without  human  respect 
or  fear  of  censure  from  others.  This  frankness 
harmonized  well  with  the  open  character  of  the 
Kentuckians,  and  secured  for  him,  in  their  bo- 
soms, an  unbounded  confidence  and  esteem. 

Those  under  his  direction  could  not  fail  to  profit 
by  all  this  earnest  zeal  and  devotedness  to  their 
welfare.  They  made  rapid  advances  in  the  path 
of  perfection,  in  which  they  were  blessed  with  so 
able  and  laborious  a guide.  Even  when  he  was 
snatched  from  their  midst,  they  could  not  soon 
forget  his  lessons  nor  loose  sight  of  his  example. 

We  may  say  of  him,  what  he  so  ardently  wish- 
ed should  be  verified  in  others  : that  he  “has 
brought  forth  fruit,55  and  that  “his  fruit  has  re- 
mained.55 He  has  enkindled  a fire  in  our  midst, 
which  the  coldness  and  neglect  of  generations  to 
come  will  not  be  able  to  quench.  He  has  im- 
pressed his  own  earnest  spirit  on  the  missions 
served  by  those  whom  his  laborious  zeal  has 
reared.  Such  are  some  of  the  fruits  produced  by 
this  truly  good  man,  with  whose  invaluable  ser- 
vices God  was  pleased  to  bless  our  infant  Diocess. 

But  these  were  not  all,  nor  even  one  half,  of 
the  fruits,  which  he  brought  forth,  and  cultivated 
till  they  were  ripe  for  heaven.  His  zeal  was  not 
confined  to  the  seminary,  the  labour  in  superin- 
tending which  would  appear  to  have  sufficed  for 
any  one  man.  He  devoted  all  his  moments  of 
leisure  to  the  exercise  of  the  holy  ministry  among 
the  Catholics  living  in  the  neighbourhood  of  St. 
Thomas5.  He  was  for  several  years  the  pastor  of 
this  congregation  ; and,  besides  the  church,  he  at- 


228 


FATHER  DAVID. 


tended  to  several  neighbouring  stations,  on  Thurs- 
days, when  his  duties  did  not  require  his  presence 
at  the  seminary.  He  also  visited  the  congregation 
at  Bardstown  once  a month.  Constant  labour 
was  the  atmosphere  he  breathed,  and  the  very  ele- 
ment in  which  he  lived.  He  was  most  happy, 
when  most  occupied.  During  his  long  life,  he, 
perhaps,  spent  as  few  idle  hours  as  any  other  man 
that  ever  lived. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 


The  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Kentucky. 


Father  David,  their  Founder — The  objects  of  the  Sisterhood — 
Its  humble  beginning — And  early  history — Its  rapid  growth — 
And  extended  usefulness — Branch  establishments — Removal  to 
the  present  situation — Present  condition  of  the  Society — A pre- 
cious legacy. 

Besides  attending  to  the  seminary  and  to  the 
missions,  Father  David  set  about  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  another  institution,  which  was  afterwards 
destined  to  become  the  ornament  and  pride  of  the 
Diocess,  and  which  was  admirable  even  in  its  rude 
beginnings.  We  allude  to  the  establishment  of 
the  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Kentucky,  who  justly 
look  up  to  him  as  their  father  and  founder. 

We  will  devote  the  present  chapter  to  a rapid 
sketch  of  the  origin,  design,  and  early  progress, 
of  this  Society.  Without  doing  this,  in  fact,  our 
sketches,  both  of  the  life  of  Father  David  and  of 
the  religious  history  of  Kentucky,  would  be  very 
incomplete.* 

The  foundation  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity  in 
Kentucky  dates  back  to  the  year  1812;  one  year 
and  a half  after  the  arrival  of  Bishop  Flaget  in  his 
new  Diocess,  and  about  twelve  months  after  the 
Theological  Seminary,  under  charge  of  Father  Da- 

* For  the  principal  facts  and  dates  of  the  following  statement 
we  are  indebted  to  notes  kindly  furnished  by  the  present  Supe- 
riors of  the  Nazareth  Institution. 


330  THE  SISTERS  OE  CHARITY 

vid,  had  been  removed  from  St.  Stephen’s  to  the 
farm  of  St.  Thomas.  At  this  time,  the  excellent 
Superior  of  the  seminary,  with  the  advice  and 
consent  of  Bishop  Flaget,  conceived  the  idea  of 
founding  a community  of  religious  females,  who, 
secluded  from  the  world,  might  devote  themselves 
wholly  to  the  service  of  God  and  the  good  of  the 
neighbour. 

The  new  society  was  to  be  wholly  under  the 
control  of  the  Bishop,  and  of  the  ecclesiastical  supe- 
rior whom  he  might  appoint.  Besides  aspiring  to 
the  practice  of  religious  perfection,  by  fulfilling 
the  three  ordinary  vows  of  poverty,  chastity,  and 
obedience,  the  members  of  the  Sisterhood  were 
to  devote  their  lives  to  such  works  of  mercy,  both 
corporal  and  spiritual,  in  behalf  of  the  neighbour, 
as  might  come  within  their  reach ; and  also  to 
apply  themselves  to  the  education  of  young  per- 
sons of  their  own  sex,  in  all  the  branches  of  fe- 
male instruction.  To  these  occupations  they  were 
to  add  the  instruction  of  poor  children  and  ser- 
vants in  the  catechism,  and  the  visiting  of  the 
sick,  without  distinction  of  creed,  as  far  as  might 
be  compatible  with  the  other  duties  of  their  in- 
stitute. 

Such  was  the  original  plan  of  the  society.  So 
soon  as  the  intentions  of  the  Bishop  were  known 
in  the  several  congregations  of  his  Diocess,  there 
were  found  several  pious  ladies  who  professed  a 
willingness  to  enter  the  establishment,  and  to  de- 
vote their  lives  to  the  objects  which  its  projectors 
proposed.  In  November,  1812,  two  pious  ladies 
of  mature  age,  Sister  Teresa  Carico  and  Miss  Eli- 
zabeth Wells,  took  possession  of  a small  log  house 
contiguous  to  the  church  of  St  Thomas.  Their 
house  consisted  of  but  one  room  below  and  one 
above,  and  a cabin  adjoining,  which  served  as  a 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


231 


kitchen.  They  commenced  their  work  of  charity 
by  manufacturing  clothing  for  those  belonging  to 
the  seminary  of  St.  Thomas,  then  in  its  infancy. 

On  the  21st  of  January  following,  1813,  another 
member  was  added  to  the  community,  in  the  per- 
son of  Sister  Catharine  Spalding.  On  the  same 
day,  the  Superior,  Father  David,  presented  to 
them  the  provisional  rules  which  he  had  already 
drawn  up,  unfolding  the  nature,  objects,  and 
duties  of  the  new  society.  On  the  same  occasion, 
he  also  read,  and  fully  explained  to  those  present, 
an  order  of  the  day,  which  he  had  written  out,  for 
the  regulation  of  the  exercises  of  the  community; 
and  this  was  still  farther  organized  by  the  tempo- 
rary appointment  of  the  oldest  member  as  Superi- 
or, until  the  society  should  be  sufficiently  nume- 
rous to  proceed  to  a regular  election,  according  to 
the  provisions  of  the  rule. 

At  this  time,  the  house  in  which  the  Sisters 
lived  was  so  poor  as  to  be  unprovided  with  even 
the  most  necessary  articles  of  furniture.  They 
bore  this  and  other  privations  with  great  cheerful- 
ness; and,  from  the  date  last  mentioned,  they  be- 
gan gradually  to  form  themselves  into  a religious 
community,  by  observing  the  rules  which  they 
had  just  received.  As  yet,  however,  they  had  no 
religious  uniform,  but  continued  to  wear  the  dress 
in  which  they  had  entered  the  community. 

Such  was  the  humble  commencement  of  the 
Society  of  Sisters  of  Charity  in  Kentucky.  Never- 
theless, with  the  Divine  blessing,  it  was  soon  des- 
tined to  increase  in  number,  and  to  prosper,  even 
beyond  the  most  sanguine  expectations  of  its 
saintly  founder.  On  Easter  Monday,  April,  1813, 
the  community  was  farther  increased,  by  the  en- 
trance of  two  additional  members,  Sisters  Mary 
Beaven  and  Harriet  Gardiner. 


232  THE  SISTERS  OF  CHARITY 

In  June  of  the  same  year,  the  Sisters,  being 
now  six  in  number,  made  a spiritual  retreat  of 
seven  days,  under  the  direction  of  Father  David ; 
and,  at  the  close  of  it,  proceeded  to  the  election  of 
a Superior,  and  of  officers,  from  their  own  body. 
Sister  Catharine  Spalding  was  chosen  the  first 
Mother  Superior,  Sister  Harriet  Gardiner,  Mo- 
ther’s Assistant,  and  Sister  Betsey  Wells,  Procu- 
ratrix.  At  this  first  election  ever  held  in  the  soci- 
ety, there  were  present,  Bishop  Flaget,  Father 
David,  and  the  Rev.  G.  I.  Chabrat.  On  the  occa- 
sion the  Bishop  made  the  Sisters  a very  moving 
exhortation,  on  the  nature  of  the  duties  they  were 
undertaking  to  perform,  and  on  the  obligations  they 
contracted  in  embracing  the  religious  life.  The 
ceremony  was  closed  with  the  episcopal  bene- 
diction. 

The  society  continued  to  increase  every  succes- 
sive year.  The  Sisters  edified  all  by  their  piety 
and  laborious  life.  They  devoted  their  time  chief- 
ly to  supplying  the  wants  of  the  theological  semi- 
nary. For  two  years  they  continued  to  observe 
their  provisional  rule,  patiently  awaiting  the  de- 
cision of  their  Bishop,  and  of  their  Rev.  founder, 
as  to  what  Order  or  Society  they  would  associate 
themselves. 

At  length  it  was  determined  that  they  should 
embrace  the  rules  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  found- 
ed in  France,  nearly  two  centuries  before,  by  St. 
Vincent  of  Paul.  A copy  of  these  rules  had  been 
brought  over  to  the  United  States  from  France,  by 
Bishop  Flaget,  at  the  request  of  Archbishop  Car- 
roll ; and  they  had  been  already  adopted,  with 
some  modifications  to  suit  the  country,  by  the  re- 
ligious society  of  Sisters  of  Charity,  lately  estab- 
lished at  Emmettsburg,  Maryland.  Upon  mature 
reflection,  it  was  decided  that  the  regulations  of 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


233 


this  excellent  institute  were  more  conformable 
than  any  other  to  the  views  and  intentions  of  the 
Bishop  and  of  Father  David,  as  well  as  to  the 
wishes  of,  and  the  objects  contemplated  by,  the 
members  of  the  new  society. 

At  the  same  time,  the  Sisters  adopted  a religious 
uniform  of  their  own  manufacture,  consisting  of 
a habit  and  cape  of  black,  similar  to  the  dress 
which  they  now  wear  ; and  of  a cap,  which  was 
at  first  black,  but  which,  after  two  or  three  years, 
was,  with  the  approbation  of  their  Superior,  ex- 
changed for  one  that  was  white.  This  last  colour 
was  thought  more  convenient  and  economical,  as 
well  as  more  comfortable  than  that  worn  by  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  in  France. 

For  greater  convenience  and  retirement,  the 
Sisters  had  already  removed  their  residence  to  the 
distance  of  about  half  a mile  from  the  church  and 
seminary  of  St.  Thomas.  In  1814,  an  additional 
log  house  was  put  up,  with  the  aid  of  the  semina- 
rians, adjoining  the  one  in  which  they  resided.  It 
was  intended  for  a female  school,  which  was 
shortly  afterwards  opened.  Hitherto,  the  sisters 
had  walked  daily  to  the  church  of  St.  Thomas, 
to  hear  Mass  : but  now,  having  more  room,  they 
fitted  up  a small  chapel  in  an  upper  apartment, 
where  the  Blessed  Sacrament  was  kept,  and  the 
Holy  Sacrifice  offered  up  as  often  as  was  conveni- 
ent : they,  however,  still  continued  to  attend 
church  at  St.  Thomas’  on  Sundays  and  festivals. 

From  the  year  1815,  the  Sisters  commenced  and 
kept  up  a boarding-school  which  was  as  much  pa- 
tronized as  could  have  been  anticipated,  consider- 
ing the  location  and  the  novelty  of  such  an  estab- 
lishment in  Kentucky.  The  number  of  pupils 
continued  to  be  small,  never  exceeding  thirty,  un- 
til the  year  1822,  when  the  institution  was  trans- 


234  THE  SISTERS  OF  CHARITY 

ferred  to  its  present  location,  two  and  a half  miles 
north  of  Bardstown. 

In  the  summer  of  1816,  the  Sisters  had,  by  their 
industry  and  economy,  accumulated  means  suffi- 
cient for  the  building  of  a small  frame  chapel, 
which  the  increased  size  of  the  family  rendered 
necessary.  On  its  completion,  the  Blessed  Sacra- 
ment was  transferred  to  it  with  great  solemnity, 
the  Sisters  and  their  pupils  following  in  the  pro- 
cession. 

During  the  time  they  spent  at  their  establish- 
ment on  the  farm  of  St.  Thomas’,  they  lost  no  op- 
portunity to  qualify  themselves  as  teachers.  Their 
indefatigable  founder  devoted  all  his  leisure  hours 
to  their  instruction  in  the  various  branches  which 
they  were  afterwards  to  teach.  Thus  they  were 
enabled  gradually  to  carry  out  their  plan  of  edu- 
cating young  persons  of  their  own  sex.  They 
succeeded  so  well,  that,  in  1818,  they  found  them- 
selves in  a situation  to  erect  a large  brick  school- 
house,  in  which  fifty  boarders  might  be  easily  ac- 
commodated ; and  also  to  put  up  two  other  out 
buildings,  one  of  brick,  and  the  other  of  stone. 
Their  school  also  continued  to  increase  each  suc- 
cessive year. 

The  number  of  members  in  the  community  had 
increased  so  fast,  that  the  Sisters  were  soon  en- 
abled to  form  branch  establishments  in  different 
places.  On  the  feast  of  the  Nativity  of  the  Bless- 
ed Virgin,  8th  of  September,  1819,  three  Sisters — 
Harriet  Gardiner,  Polly  Beaven,  and  Nancy 
Lynch — left  the  mother  house,  to  establish  a day- 
school  in  Bardstown.  The  new  establishment 
was  called  Bethlehem,  and  was  opened  in  a house 
which  had  been  previously  contracted  for  by  Fa- 
ther David.  This  school  continued  to  flourish  for 
many  years,  and  was  the  means  of  doing  great 
good  to  the  children  of  the  town. 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


235 


In  the  following  year,  another  colony  of  three 
Sisters  was  sent  to  found  a school  in  Breckenridge 
county,  Kentucky.  But,  after  they  had  endured 
much  sickness,  and  struggled  with  many  difficul- 
ties, their  Superiors  deemed  it  advisable  to  recall 
them,  and  to  abandon  the  enterprise  for  the 
present* 

The  attempt  made  during  the  same  year,  1820, 
to  establish  a school  of  the  society  in  Union  coun- 
ty, met  with  better  success.  To  this  distant  place, 
Sister  Angela  Spink,  Sister  Frances  Gardiner,  and 
another,  were  sent  by  their  Superiors,  to  open  a 
school  on  the  plantation  destined  for  the  church, 
which  the  society  afterwards  purchased.  This 
portion  of  Kentucky  being  then  but  newly  set- 
tled, and  totally  unprovided  with  the  most  com- 
mon conveniences  of  life,  the  good  Sisters  who 
laboured  there  had  to  endure  many  privations  and 
hardships  for  several  years.  But,  by  dint  of  pa- 
tient industry  and  perseverance,  they  finally  suc- 
ceeded, with  the  divine  assistance,  in  establishing 
there  a very  respectable  boarding  school,  which 
still  continues  to  flourish. 

The  society  had  now  existed  for  more  than  eight 
years.  During  all  this  time,  the  Sisters  had  been 
employed  in  carrying  on  their  school,  and  in  im- 
proving themselves,  in  order  that  they  might  be 
fully  adequate  to  teach  all  the  branches  of  educa- 
tion. They  had  also  aided  the  seminary,  by 
manufacturing  all  the  clothing  worn  by  the  semi- 
narians, as  likewise  that  of  the  servants.  They 
moreover  had  done  whatever  sewing  was  needed 
for  the  altar  and  church  of  St.  Thomas.  In  a 
word,  they  had  rendered  to  the  seminary  and  to 
the  church  generally,  all  the  services  in  their 
power. 


P 


236  THE  SISTERS  OF  CHARITY 

During  all  this  time,  and  for  many  years  after- 
wards, they  had  a very  hard  and  laborious  life* 
having  very  little  assistance  from  servants,  being 
obliged  frequently  to  provide  and  cut  their  own 
wood,  and  always  to  do  their  own  cooking  and 
washing,  and  to  manufacture  their  own  clothing, 
to  cultivate  their  own  garden,  and  even  sometimes 
to  labour  in  the  fields.  To  all  these  hardships 
and  privations  they  submitted  without  a murmur, 
consoled  and  strengthened  by  the  grace  of  God, 
to  whose  service  they  had  dedicated  themselves, 
and  cheered  by  the  voice  of  their  good  founder, 
who  comforted  them  amidst  all  their  sufferings. 

In  1821,  after  the  establishment  of  St.  Joseph’s 
College,  and  the  removal  of  the  seminary  to  Bards- 
town,  two  Sisters  were  sent  to  reside  near  the 
college,  in  order  to  do  the  sewing  of  both  institu- 
tions, and  to  perform  other  useful  services.  Short- 
ly afterwards  their  number  was  increased,  and 
then  they  took  charge  of  the  wardrobe  and  infirm- 
ary of  the  college ; and  also  superintended  the 
kitchen  and  refectory.  They  continued  to  per- 
form these  services  till  the  year  1834,  when  they 
were  recalled  to  the  mother  house  by  their  Supe- 
riors, who  had  need  of  their  services  for  duties 
more  immediately  connected  with  their  vocation. 

The  year  1822  formed  an  epoch  in  the  history 
of  the  society.  It  marks  the  date  of  the  removal 
of  the  mother  establishment  from  the  farm  of  St. 
Thomas’,  to  its  present  situation.  During  the 
twelve  years  which  elapsed  since  the  birth  of  the 
Sisterhood,  it  had  rapidly  increased,  and  had  be- 
come strong  enough,  not  only  to  conduct  a board- 
ing-school at  the  principal  establishment,  but  also 
to  establish  several  branches  in  different  parts  of 
Kentucky.  The  land  on  which  the  mother  house 
stood  did  not  belong  to  the  Sisters  ; and  the  will 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


237 


of  Mr.  Howard,  bestowing  it  for  the  benefit  of  the 
Catholic  church  in  Kentucky,  was  of  such  a na- 
ture as  to  render  it  impossible  for  them  to  obtain 
any  portion  of  it  by  purchase.  Under  these 
circumstances,  it  was  deemed  advisable  and  ex- 
pedient, for  the  utility  and  permanency  of  the 
society,  that  some  other  situation  should  be 
selected. 

They  accordingly  purchased  the  present  site  of 
the  parent  institution,  which  they  were  enabled 
to  do,  chiefly  through  the  means  generously  left 
at  their  disposal  by  Mrs.  O’Connor  of  Baltimore, 
who  had  just  joined  the  Sisterhood.  Their  own 
slender  means  had  been  already  exhausted  in  the 
improvements  made  on  their  first  establishment 
near  St.  Thomas’.  In  removing,  they  were  ne- 
cessarily compelled  to  sacrifice  all  these  improve- 
ments, as  well  as  the  resources  they  had  accumu- 
lated during  ten  years  of  patient  toil.  They  had 
to  recommence  every  thing  at  the  new  mother- 
house,  which  was  called  Nazareth , like  that  which 
they  left  on  the  farm  of  St.  Thomas. 

The  removal  was  effected  on  the  11th  of  June, 
1822.  In  the  month  of  March,  preceding,  three 
Sisters,  with  two  orphan  girls,  and  the  only  two 
servants  then  belonging  to  the  institution,  had 
been  sent  to  make  the  necessary  preparations  for 
the  removal  of  the  entire  community.  A small 
wooden  building,  the  study  of  preacher  Lapsley,# 
the  former  proprietor  of  the  place,  had  been  fitted 
up  as  a temporary  chapel ; and  there  Father  David 
had  celebrated  the  Holy  Sacrifice,  invoking,  at 
the  same  time,  a blessing  on  the  house  which  was 
destined  for  the  community. 

• A Presbyterian  minister,  whose  name  has  been  already 
mentioned  in  these  Sketches,  in  connection  with  the  Very  Rev. 
M.  Badin. 

p 2 


238 


THE  SISTERS  OF  CHARITY 


At  the  time  of  their  removal,  the  community 
numbered  about  thirty-eight  members.  The 
school  was  small,  but,  from  this  date,  it  began 
rapidly  to  increase.  To  afford  room  to  the  nu- 
merous pupils,  it  soon  became  necessary  to  erect 
temporary  cabins  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
community.  The  same  motive,  and  other  reasons, 
caused  the  discontinuance  of  a day-school  which 
had  been  previously  opened. 

The  society  not  only  prospered  at  home,  but 
continued  to  send  out  colonies  for  the  formation  of 
branch  establishments.  In  April,  1823,  Mother 
Catharine  Spalding, # with  three  other  Sisters,  set 
out  for  Scott  county,  Kentucky,  to  found  the 
school  of  St.  Catharine,  which,  some  years  later, 
was  removed  to  Lexington,  where  it  has  continu- 
ed to  flourish  ever  since. 

In  March,  1824,  another  colony  of  four  Sisters, 
under  the  superintendence  of  Sister  Harriet  Gar- 
diner, was  sent  to  form  a school  at  Vincennes,  at 
that  time  under  the  jurisdiction  of  Bishop  Flaget. 
The  school  succeeded  for  several  years,  though 
the*  Sisters  had  to  encounter  many  difficulties,  and 
to  endure  many  privations,  the  greatest  of  which 
was,  that,  owing  to  the  scarcity  of  clergymen  in 
Indiana  at  that  time,  they  were  often  left  for  weeks, 
and  even  months,  without  the  means  of  hearing 
Mass  or  of  approaching  the  Holy  Sacraments. 
Finally,  for  sufficient  reasons,  the  establishment 
was  abandoned,  in  1838,  and  the  Sisters  attached 
to  it  were  recalled  by  their  Superiors  to  Nazareth, 

* As  we  have  seen,  she  was  the  first  Mother  Superior  of  the 
society;  and  she  was  subsequently  selected  at  five  different 
times.  The  term  of  service  for  the  Mother  is  three  years ; so 
that  she  has  been  Superior  altogether,  eighteen  years.  The 
other  Superiors  elected  by  the  society,  were:  Mother  Frances 
Gardiner,  Mother  Angela  Spink,  and  Mother  Agnes  Higdou, 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


239 


Having  succeeded  in  their  school  even  beyond 
their  own  anticipations,  the  Sisters  now  determin- 
ed to  improve  their  place  by  additional  buildings. 
The  first  thing  they  thought  of  was  a church, 
which  they  erected  in  the  summer  of  1824.  It 
was  a neat  brick  edifice,  amply  sufficient,  not  only 
for  the  community,  but  likewise  for  the  numerous 
pupils  attached  to  the  boarding-school. 

Notwithstanding  their  very  limited  means,  they 
next  undertook  the  building  of  the  present  large 
and  commodious  edifice  for  a boarding-school; 
and  though  many  timid  persons  sought  to  dissuade 
them  from  an  undertaking  apparently  so  far  be- 
yond their  resources,  yet  they  persevered,  and 
succeeded  in  completing  it  without  much  difficul- 
ty. In  its  accomplishment  they  were  greatly  aid- 
ed by  the  kind  indulgence  of  the  merchants  of 
Bardstown,  who,  by  generously  offering  to  furnish 
them  with  whatever  they  needed,  and  to  await 
their  own  convenience  for  the  payment,  enabled 
them  to  employ  all  their  means  on  the  building. 
Thus,  within  six  years  after  their  removal  to  the 
present  institution,  they  had  expended  about  $20,- 
000  on  the  improvement  of  the  place. 

The  Institution  of  Nazareth  continued  to  in- 
crease yearly  in  usefulness  and  popularity.  The 
Sisterhood  also  increased  in  number  every  year. 
And  in  proportion  as  God  blessed  their  labours, 
they  extended  the  sphere  of  their  usefulness.  In 
1831  Mother  Catharine  Spalding,  with  three  other 
Sisters,  went  to  Louisville  to  open  a day-school, 
which  was  commenced  in  the  basement  story  of 
the  St.  Louis  Church.  It  soon  became  numerous, 
and  has  continued  to  flourish  to  this  day.  To  this 
was  lately  added  a free-school  for  girls,  which  is 
also  numerously  attended. 


240 


THE  SISTERS  OF  CHARITY 


Two  years  later,  preparations  were  made  for 
building  a house  on  the  lot  adjoining  the  church, 
for  a female  Orphan  Asylum.  This  charitable  in- 
stitution soon  became  prosperous ; and  two 
years  after  its  foundation,  it  was  removed  to  the 
beautiful  situation,  on  Jefferson  Street,  which  had 
been  purchased  for  the  purpose  by  the  Nazareth 
Institution.  This  latter  had  already  been  incor- 
porated, with  a very  favourable  charter,  by  the  Le- 
gislature of  Kentucky. 

Finally,  in  August,  1842,  a new  school,  con- 
ducted by  Sisters  of  the  society,  was  opened  in 
Nashville,  Tennessee,  under  the  auspices  of  the 
Rt.  Rev.  Dr.  Miles.  Though  yet  in  its  infancy, 
it  has  flourished  even  beyond  the  most  sanguine 
expectations  of  its  friends. 

The  following  table  will  exhibit  the  present 
condition  of  the  society,  and  of  the  establishments 


under  its  direction. 

Number  of  Professed  Sisters,  - 67 

Do.  of  Novices,  - 9 

Do.  Boarders  at  the  Nazareth  Academy,  120 
Do.  at  St.  Vincent’s,  in  Union  county,  35 
Number  of  boarders  at  St.  Catharine’s, 

Lexington,  22 

Do.  Day-scholars,  do.  do.  - 40 

Number  of  Boarders  at  St.  Mary’s  Acade- 
my, Nashville,  - - - - 18 

Do.  Day-scholars,  do.  do.  - 47 

Do.  Day-scholars  at  Presentation  Aca- 
demy, Louisville,  ...  50 

Do.  do.  do.  Free-school,  do.,  75 
Do.  Orphans  at  St.  Vincent’s  Asylum,  do.  40 
Total  of  Sisters,  - - - 76 

Total  of  scholars,  including  orphans,  447 


IN  KENTUCKY. 


241 


The  society  thus  educates  yearly  between  four 
and  five  hundred  girls,  including  forty  orphans 
which  it  has  been  the  means  of  rescuing  from 
misery  and  degradation.  And  the  number  is  not 
now  so  great,  as  it  has  been  in  previous  years, 
owing  chiefly  to  the  difficulties  of  the  times. 

Father  David  continued  to  be  the  Superior  of 
the  society  for  twenty  years,  when  age  and  infirmi- 
ty compelled  him  to  retire  from  its  management. 
He  had  watched  over  the  infancy,  and  he  lived  to 
be  cheered  by  the  rapid  growth  and  extended  use- 
fulness of  the  Sisterhood.  While  preparing  to 
descend  to  the  tomb,  he  was  consoled  by  the  vir- 
tues of  those  whom  he  had  trained  in  the  path  of 
perfection,  and  by  the  immense  good  they  were 
doing  to  religion.  And,  after  some  more  years  of 
weary  pilgrimage,  he  was  destined  to  breathe  his 
last  at  the  institution  he  had  founded,  and  to  be- 
queathe his  remains  to  those  whom  he  had  spent 
so  many  years  in  forming  to  Christian  perfection. 
But  he  bequeathed  to  them  and  to  all,  a more  pre- 
cious legacy  still — the  memory  of  his  virtues  and 
of  his  instructions ! 


CHAPTER  XV. 


The  New  Cathedral  of  St.  Joseph's — Consecration 
of  Father  David — His  Writings , Deaths 
and  Character . 


Removal  of  the  Seminary  to  Bardstown — Erection  of  the  Ca- 
thedral— Liberal  subscriptions — Obstacles — Dedication  of  the 
Cathedral — The  edifice  described — Its  paintings  and  ornaments 
— Father  David  named  Bishop — Accepts  with  reluctance — His 
poverty — His  Consecration — His  zeal  redoubles — His  zeal  for  the 
rubrics — And  taste  for  Music — His  qualities  as  pastor  of  the  Ca- 
thedral— As  a preacher — And  as  a confessor — The  splendid 
services  of  the  Cathedral — A refreshing  reminiscence — Testi- 
mony of  eye-witnesses — The  remainder  of  Father  David’s  life — 
His  zeal  for  the  faith — His  oral  discussion  with  Hall — His  con- 
troversial sermons  and  writings — His  other  writings — His  happy 
death — And  character; 

In  the  year  1818,  Father  David  removed  to 
Bardstown,  with  a portion  of  the  seminarians  of 
whom  he  was  Superior^  Many  reasons  induced 
this  change  of  location.  Bishop  Flaget  wished 
to  reside  in  the  place  which  was  his  episcopal 
See,  and  he  was  desirous  of  being  surrounded  by 
his  young  seminarians,  as  a father  by  his  children. 
The  new  Cathedral  of  St.  Joseph’s  was  then  in 
progress  of  erection,  and  the  establishment  of  a 

• Only  those  who  were  more  advanced  in  their  studies  remov* 
ed  to  Bardstown.  The  others  remained  at  St.  Thomas’,  which, 
for  some  years,  continued  to  be  a preparatory  theological  semi- 
nary, to  whieh  was  annexed  an  elementary  school. 


*THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL. 


243 


College  was  contemplated.  The  services  of  the 
seminarians  would  be  needed  in  the  college  during 
the  week,  and  in  the  cathedral  on  Sundays  and 
Festivals.  Such  were  some  of  the  principal  mo- 
tives for  the  removal  of  the  seminary  from  St. 
Thomas  to  Bardstown. 

During  the  first  eight  years  of  his  residence  in 
Kentucky,  Bishop  Fjaget  had  no  Cathedral,  other 
than  the  poor  chapel  at  St.  Stephen's,  and  the 
small  church  of  St.  Thomas’.  His  poverty,  as 
well  as  his  continual  occupations,  rendered  it  im- 
possible for  him  to  undertake  the  erection  of  a 
suitable  church  for  this  purpose.  His  people,  too, 
were  as  poor  as  their  Bishop ; and  hence  the  lat- 
ter, however  much  and  ardently  he  desired  it,  was 
compelled  to  defer  the  undertaking  for  so  many 
years.  We  will  here  quote  the  language  of  Father 
David,  on  this  subject^  already  often  referred  to. 

“That  which  has  occupied  us  most  is  the  build- 
ing of  a Cathedral  at  Bardstown.  Though  the 
Bishop  had  conceived  this  design  immediately 
on  his  arrival,  he  had  not,  however,  yet  ventured 
on  its  execution : but  Providence  has  at  length 
removed  all  obstacles  in  a wonderful  manner.  A 
good  Catholic  carpenterf  from  Baltimore  has  offer- 
ed his  services  for  this  purpose ; and  the  amount 
of  the  first  subscription  was  found  to  be  from 
twelve  to  fourteen  thousand  dollars.  Bardstown 
alone,  which  scarcely  equals  in  size  one  of  our 
large  villages  in  France,  subscribed  five  thousand 
dollars.” 

Many  citizens  of  Bardstown,  who  were  not  Ca- 
tholics, subscribed  liberally  for  this  purpose.  The 
Cathedral  was  commenced,  and  the  work  was 
prosecuted  with  ardour  and  spirit.  The  Catholics 

* Dated  November  20th,  1817,  nearly  two  ycaTS  before  the 
completion  of  the  Cathedral. 

t John  Rogers,  the  architect  of  the  Cathedral. 


344 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL. 


vied  with  each  other  in  zeal  and  liberality,  for  the 
completion  of  an  edifice,  which  was  to  be  the 
pride  and  glory  of  themselves  and  of  their  chil- 
dren. But  many  unforeseen  obstacles  arose.  The 
subscription  was  found  to  be  insufficient ; and, 
from  one  of  those  sudden  pecuniary  revulsions 
common  to  all  commercial  countries,  and  no  where 
more  frequent  than  in  the  United  States,  many  who 
had  subscribed  had  become  totally  unable  to  pay 
the  amount  of  their  subscription.  All  our  elder  citi- 
zens remember  the  heavy  pecuniary  pressure  and 
distress  of  the  years  1819  and  following. 

In  this  emergency,  the  good  Bishop  came  gene- 
rously to  the  assistance  of  his  people,  to  the  full 
amount  of  his  means,  which  were,  however,  as 
yet  very  slender.  The  work  continued  to  progress; 
and  the  new  Cathedral  was  nearly  completed  by 
the  summer  of  1819.  On  the  8th  day  of  August, 
of  this  year,  it  was  solemnly  dedicated  to  Almighty 
God,  under  the  invocation  of  St.  Joseph.  With  a 
heart  overflowing  with  joy  and  gratitude  to  God, 
the  Bishop  performed  the  magnificent  ceremony 
of  the  dedication,  according  to  all  the  rites  pre- 
scribed in  the  Roman  Pontifical.  He  was  on  this 
day  surrounded  by  almost  all  his  clergy,  and  by 
the  seminarians ; and  the  seremony  was  perform- 
ed in  the  presence  of  an  immense  concourse  of 
people  from  all  parts  of  the  surrounding  country. 
Long  and  gratefully  will  that  day  be  remembered 
by  the  Catholics  of  Kentucky.  It  marks  an  aera 
in  the  history  of  our  infant  church. 

The  Cathedral  is  a neat  and  beautiful  specimen 
of  architecture,  of  the  Corinthian  order  and  its 

• It  is  not  entirely  according  to  all  the  rules  of  the  pure  Gre- 
cian Corinthian  style : the  capitals,  have  the  Corinthian  floral 
leaves,  without  the  involutes.  The  portico  is  supported  dy  six 
beautiful  columns  of  the  Ionic  order.  This  was  completed  only 
some  years  later. 


THE  NEW  CATHEDRAL. 


345 


dimensions  are  one  hundred  and  twenty  feet  in 
length — including  the  beautiful  semicircular  sanc- 
tuary— -by  seventy-four  feet  in  breadth.  The 
ceiling  of  the  centre  aisle  is  arched,  and  flanked 
on  each  side  with.a  row  of  four  beautiful  columns, 
besides  the  pilasters  of  the  sanctuary.  The  ceil- 
ing of  the  side  aisles  is  groined ; and  it  was  in- 
tended by  the  architect  to  have  the  side  walls  dec- 
orated with  pilasters  in  the  same  style  of  architec- 
ture, but  the  limited  funds  of  the  church  did  not 
permit  him  to  carry  out  this  plan.  The  steeple  is 
a well  proportioned  and  beautifully  tapering  spire, 
nearly  one  hundred  and  fifty  feet  in  height,  to  the 
summit  of  the  cross  with  which  it  is  surmounted. 
It  is  provided  with  a large  bell,  procured  from 
France  by  the  present  Coadjutor  Bishop  of  the 
Diocess. 

An  organ,  and  two  superb  paintings,  the  one 
representing  the  Crucifixion,  and  the  other,  the 
Conversion  of  William,  Duke  of  Brienne,  by  St. 
Bernard,  were  placed  in  the  church.  They  had 
been  procured  from  Belgium  by  the  venerable  M. 
Nerinckx;  and  were  by  him  presented  to  the 
Bishop  for  the  new  Cathedral.  To  these  paint- 
ings were  subsequently  added  several  others 
which  had  been  presented  to  the  Bishop  by  the 
King  of  Naples,  and  the  Sovereign  Pontiff,  Leo 
XII.# 

The  Cathedral  was  also  provided  with  rich 
suits  of  vestments,  golden  candlesticks,  a golden 
tabernacle,  and  other  splendid  ornaments,  present- 
ed to  the  Bishop  by  the  present  King  and  Queen 

* These  fine  paintings,  with  that  of  St.  Bernard  and  of  St. 
Charles  Borromeo,  were  lately  removed  to  Louisville  by  the 
Bishop,  on  the  transfer  of  the  episcopal  See  to  that  city. 


246 


FATHER  DAVID  : 


of  the  French. # In  a word,  the  Cathedral  is  a 
beautiful  and  well  decorated  edifice ; and  it  will 
long  remain  an  evidence  of  the  zeal  and  liberality 
of  our  Bishop  and  of  the  Catholics  of  the  congre- 
gation attached  to  it,  as  well  as  a monument  of  the 
ability  and  exquisite  taste  of  its  architect. 

Father  David  had  been  long  the  bosom  friend 
and  intimate  associate  of  Bishop  Flaget.  Weigh- 
ed down  with  the  labours  and  solicitude  of  his 
vast  Diocess,  in  the  visitation  of  which  he  was 
compelled  to  be  often  absent  from  home  for  months 
at  a time,  the  Bishop  determined  to  petition  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff  to  have  his  old  friend  nominat- 
ed his  Coadjutor.  The  latter  would  then  be  able 
better  to  supply  his  absence,  and  would  also  be 
invested  with  more  power  and  authority  for  doing 
good,  and  for  rearing  up,  and  forming  the  charac- 
ter of  the  young  clergy  placed  under  his  care. 
Though  a few  yearsf  older  than  the  Bishop,  yet 
the  health  of  Father  David  was  still  robust,  and 
so  regular  had  he  ever  been  in  all  his  habits,  that 
he  bid  fair  yet  to  live  to  be  able  to  labour  in  the 
vineyard  for  many  years  to  come. 

Father  David  accepted  with  great  reluctance 
the  proffered  appointment.  He  could  be  induced 
to  yield  to  the  urgent  wishes  of  his  friend  and 
Superior,  and  to  the  voice  of  Rome,  only  by  the 
conviction  which  was  forced  on  his  mind,  that 
such  was  the  will  of  God  ; and  that,  as  Bishop,  he 
could  best  promote  the  glory  of  God  and  the  sal- 
vation of  souls.  He  had  ever  taught  the  duty  of 

* These,  too,  were  removed  to  Louisville,  on  the  translation  of 
the  Episcopal  See  to  that  city.  The  old  Cathedral  is,  however, 
still  amply  provided  with  every  thing  that  is  necessary  for  its 
decoration,  and  for  Divine  Service, 
t About  three  years. 


HIS  CONSECRATION,  WRITINGS,  &C.  247 

implicit*  obedience  to  the  voice  of  superiors  ; and, 
in  regard  to  himself,  he  was  always  consistent 
with  his  own  principles.  No  matter  how  great  or 
how  painful  the  sacrifice,  he  was  prepared  cheer- 
fully to  make  it,  whenever  the  command  of  his 
superior  made  it  a duty. 

He  received  his  appointment  as  Bishop  in  the 
fall  of  1817 ; but  nearly  two  years  elapsed  before 
his  consecration.  Besides  his  reluctance  to  accept 
the  dignity,  other  reasons  caused  this  delay.  He 
was  himself  blessed  with  so  much  of  that  holy 
poverty,  which  he  was  in  the  habit  of  extolling 
to  others,  that  he  had  not  wherewith  to  make  the 
necessary  preparations  for  his  consecration.f  He 
had  no  means  of  procuring  the  episcopal  habili- 
ments, or  other  necessary  articles  for  furnishing 
his  episcopal  chapel.  His  Bishop  was  scarcely 
able  to  succour  him  in  this  emergency ; and  he 
was  compelled  patiently  to  await  the  arrival  of  the 
necessary  assistance  from  France.  In  the  letter 
to  a friend  in  his  native  country,  already  often 
quoted  in  these  pages,  he  mentions  his  poverty, 
and  begs  him  to  procure  and  send  from  France 
the  necessary  articles  for  his  consecration. 

The  ceremony  of  his  consecration  took  place  in 
the  new  Cathedral,  in  the  presence  of  a vast  con- 
course of  people,  on  the  Feast  of  the  Assumption 
of  the  Blessed  Virgin,  the  15th  of  August,  1819; 
the  Octave  of  the  consecration  of  the  Cathedral. 
Bishop  Flaget  was  the  consecrator  ; and,  having 
been  unable  to  procure  the  attendance  of  any  other 
Prelate,  he  was  assisted  on  the  occasion  by  two 
among  the  oldest  clergymen  of  the  Diocess. 

* Blind  obedience  was  a favoiite  term  with  him. 

t He  loved  this  poverty  even  unto  death:  he  left  no  property 
behind  him,  and  could  bequeathe  nothing  to  his  friends  but  his 
virtues. 


248 


FATHER  DAVID  ! 


After  his  consecration,  Father  David  changed 
in  nothing  his  former  manner  of  life.  He  was 
still  the  plain,  humble,  and  mortified  man  of  pray- 
er ; the  same  regular,  zealous,  and  indefatigable 
minister  of  God.  From  this  time  his  zeal  seemed 
to  havereceived  a new  impulse  : he  now  belong- 
ed more  entirely  to  God,  and  his  whole  energies 
were  to  be  consecrated  still  more  fully,  if  possible, 
to  the  good  of  religion  and  to  the  salvation  of 
souls.  Living  in  the  midst  of  his  seminarians 
and  clergy,  eating  at  the  same  table,  and  joining 
with  them  in  every  exercise,  he  was  at  once  the 
father  and  the  model  of  both  clergy  and  people. 
Into  the  former  he  laboured  unceasingly  to  infuse 
the  true  spirit  of  the  ecclesiastical  state ; in  the 
latter  he  spared  no  pains  to  build  up  the  sublime 
edifice  of  the  Christian  life. 

One  thing  that  he  inculcated  with  particular 
force  on  the  minds  of  his  young  clergy,  was  a zeal 
for  the  decency  of  divine  worship.  He  was  very 
fond  of  the  rubrics , in  which  he  was  thoroughly 
versed.  He  trained  the  seminarians  to  an  exact 
observance  of  all  the  ceremonies  prescribed  in  the 
Roman  Missal,  Ceremonial,  and  Ritual,  as  fully 
explained  in  the  copious  and  admirable  decisions 
of  the  Roman  Congregation  of  Rites.  He  employ- 
ed every  effort  to  promote  this  exact  observance  ; 
and  his  zeal  was  aroused  at  the  omission  or  im- 
proper performance  of  the  least  ceremony.  In  his 
instructions  to  the  seminarians,  he  often  dwelt  in 
great  detail  on  this  branch  of  ecclesiastical  edu- 
cation. 

From  his  earliest  youth,  he  had  cherished  and 
cultivated  the  natural  taste  for  music  with  which 
he  had  been  blessed.  He  loved  the  grave  severi- 
ty of  the  venerable  Gregorian  chant,  and  could 
not  brook  the  slightest  departure  from  it  in  the 


HIS  CONSECRATION,  WRITINGS,  &C.  249 

church  of  God.  He  spared  no  labour  to  form  the 
choir  of  the  Cathedral ; and  for  many  years,  he 
himself  acted  as  organist  and  leader  of  the  choir. 
His  greatest  delight  seemed  to  be  to  unite  with 
others  in  singing  the  praises  of  God,  in  that  sim- 
ple and  soul-stirring  melody,  handed  down  to  us 
by  our  fathers  in  the  faith. 

After  he  had  been  consecrated  Bishop,  he  dis- 
charged for  many  years  the  office  of  chief  pastor 
of  the  Cathedral.  The  ceaseless  labours  required 
by  his  triple  charge  of  Superior  of  the  Seminary, 
Superior  of  the  Sisters  of  Charity,  and  Coadjutor 
Bishop  of  the  Diocess,  did  not  prevent  him  from 
devoting  much  of  his  time  to  the  exercise  of  the 
holy  ministry  in  the  congregation  of  St.  Joseph’s. 
He  visited  the  sick  and  the  poor,  he  preached,  he 
heard  confessions,  he  gave  spiritual  instructions, 
he  administered  the  Sacraments,  with  indefatiga- 
ble zeal.  He  lost  not  a moment  of  his  precious 
time.  Impressed  with  the  lofty  dignity  of  the 
ministry,  and  with  the  importance  of  aiding  in  the 
salvation  of  souls  ransomed  with  the  blood  of 
Christ,  he  willingly  devoted  his  whole  energies 
to  this  sublime  work. 

As  a preacher,  though  not  naturally  very  elo- 
quent, he  was  eminently  successful  in  imparting 
his  own  ideas  and  spirit  to  his  hearers.  His 
sermons  were  plain,  solid,  well  connected,  closely 
reasoned,  and  full  of  wholesome  instruction. 
Every  one  saw,  in  the  plain  earnestness  of  his 
manner,  that  he  was  himself  fully  convinced  of, 
and  deeply  imbued  with,  the  holy  truths  and 
maxims  which  he  unfolded. 

But  it  was  in  the  confessional  that  his  zeal 
abounded  most ; and  it  was  there  that  his  success 
was  most  signalized.  He  there  made  an  impres- 
sion which  time  and  the  oblivious  tendency  of 


250 


FATHER  DAVID  : 


poor  human  nature  could  not  soon  obliterate.  His 
numerous  penitents  yet  remember  and  profit  by 
the  instructions  which  they  there  received.  And 
long  and  gratefully  will  the  congregation  of  St. 
Joseph’s  treasure  up  the  lessons,  enforced  by  the 
example,  of  their  oldest  and  most  warmly  cherish- 
ed pastor. 

During  all  the  time  of  which  we  are  treating, 
the  Bishops  lived  in  common  with  theii  semina- 
rians, and,  on  every  Sunday  and  Festival,  appear- 
ed at  the  head  of  their  clergy  in  all  the  services  of 
the  Cathedral.  We  cannot  recall  those  happy 
days  without  a feeling  of  pride  and  of  happiness. 
No  one,  who  has  seen  the  venerable  Patriarch  of 
the  west  officiating  in  his  Cathedral,  can  ever  for- 
get the  impression  then  made  on  his  mind.  Even 
Protestants,  who  at  that  time  often  attended  the 
Cathedral,  were  deeply  impressed  with  the  touch- 
ing and  soul-stirring  spectacle  they  there  witness- 
ed. Never,  perhaps,  in  the  United  States,  were 
the  ceremonies  of  our  sublime  service  performed 
with  more  solemnity  and  impressiveness. 

We  will  be  pardoned  for  dwelling  somewhat  on 
this  interesting  subject,  and  for  furnishing  some 
extracts  from  letters  written  at  the  time  by  those 
who  were  engaged  in,  or  witnessed  this  beautiful 
exhibition  of  our  ceremonial,  in  the  centre  of  a 
country,  through  which,  but  a few  years  before, 
the  wild  beast  and  the  savage  alone  had  wander- 
ed. There  is  something  striking  and  moving  in 
this  melody  of  the  divine  praises,  breaking  forth 
from  the  walls  of  a beautiful  Cathedral,  but  new- 
ly erected  in  the  centre  of  what  had  so  lately  been 
an  unreclaimed  wilderness ! It  is  pleasing  and 
instructive  to  revive  reminiscences  so  refreshing 
to  the  soul. 

The  first  extract  we  will  give  is  from  a letter  of 


HIS  CONSECRATION,  WRITINGS,  &C.  251 

Bishop  Flaget  himself  to  the  directors  of  the 
French  Association  for  the  Propagation  of  the 
Faith.#  It  will  appear  from  it,  that  the  venerable 
Patriarch  was  himself  touched  by  the  spectacle 
which  he  witnessed,  and  of  which  he  made  so 
prominent  a part,  in  his  new  Cathedral. 

“Nothing  could  be  more  astonishing  and  edify- 
ing at  the  same  time,  than  to  see  the  Bishop  offi- 
ciate pontifically  in  his  Cathedral,  with  deacon 
and  subdeacon,  both  students  of  the  seminary, 
and  surrounded  by  more  than  fifteen  young  semi- 
narians, tonsured  or  in  minor  orders,  clad  in  cas- 
sock and  surplice,  and  singing  as  well  as  if  they 
had  been  trained  in  Paris  itself.  Many  priests 
have  been  already  reared  in  the  seminary : their 
piety  and  their  talents  would  render  them  distin- 
guished even  in  Europe ; and  some  of  them  are 
excellent  preachers  and  very  good  controvertists.” 

To  this  we  will  add  the  testimony*)-  of  a young 
Propagandist,  who  about  that  time  visited  Ken- 
tucky, and  thus  related  his  impressions  of  what 
he  saw  and  felt : 

“1  have  just  arrived  from  Kentucky,  whither  I 
went  to  fulfill  certain  commissions  towards  the 
holy  Bishop  Flaget  and  some  members  of  his  cler- 
gy. This  Prelate  showed  me  his  famous  estab- 
lishments and  his  Cathedral.  Accompanying  me 
himself  on  horseback,  he  made  me  visit  his  con- 
vents, his  seminaries  and  his  colleges : for  we 
must  already  speak  in  the  plural  number  of  all 
these  establishments,  scattered  in  the  midst  of  the 
forest.  I avow  to  you,  sir,  that  if  ever  I was  pen- 
etrated with  deep  feeling,  it  was  while  assisting  at 
the  Holy  Sacrifice  in  the  Cathedral  on  a Sunday. 

• Published  in  the  “Annales,”  &c.,  vol.  2.  p.  40.  seq.  No. 
for  May,  1826. 

t Published  ibid,  p.  42. 


252 


FATHER  DAVID  : 


Torrents  of  tears  flowed  from  my  eyes,  The 
ceremonies,  all  performed  with  the  greatest  pro- 
priety, according  to  the  Roman  rite  ; the  chant  at 
once  grave  and  touching ; the  attendant  clergy 
pious  and  modest ; — every  thing  impressed  me  so 
strongly,  that  I almost  believed  myself  in  the 
midst  of  one  of  the  finest  churches  of  Rome, 
which  I had  before  thought  could  not  be  equalled 
any  where  else  in  the  world.  From  the  bottom  of 
my  heart,  I poured  forth  prayers  to  God  for  this 
worthy  Bishop,  for  France,  and  for  those  who,  by 
their  generosity,  had  contributed  to  have  the  good 
God  so  well  worshipped  in  the  midst  of  the  waving 
forests.57 

Many  other  testimonies  of  a similar  character 
might  be  alleged,  pourtraying  the  spirit  and  the 
worship  of  these  golden  days  of  the  church  of 
Kentucky.  But  these  must  suffice  : the  reminis- 
cences of  the  older  portion  of  our  readers  may 
easily  supply  the  rest.  We  must  now  return  to 
Father  David,  and  endeavour  feebly  to  sketch  the 
remaining  portion  of  his  history,  which,  like  that 
of  his  venerable  associate,  is  identified  with  that 
of  the  church  of  Kentucky. 

For  more  than  sixteen  years  he  continued  to  be 
the  Superior  of  the  theological  seminary  which  he 
had  founded,  and  over  the  welfare  of  which  he 
had  watched  with  sleepless  vigilance.  His  de- 
clining years  and  increasing  duties  now  compelled 
him  to  resign  this  charge,  and  to  commit  the  desti- 
nies of  the  institution  to  younger  hands.  Still,  he 
continued  to  manifest  an  interest  in  its  welfare, 
and  to  devote  to  the  spiritual  benefit  of  the  semi- 
narians all  the  time  he  could  spare  from  his  other 
duties.  He  delighted  to  give  Retreats  ; and  he 
had  written  out  an  admirable  course  of  meditations 
for  this  purpose. 


HIS  CONSECRATION^  WRITINGS,  &C. 


253 


He  manifested  as  much  zeal  for  the  maintain  - 
ance  of  the  faith,  as  for  the  preservation  of  morals. 
As  a controvertist,  he  was  clear,  solid,  logical, 
learned,  thorough,  and  convincing.  These  cha- 
racters appeared  both  in  his  sermons,  and  in  his 
controversial  writings. 

Shortly  after  he  had  been  consecrated  Bishop,  a 
Presbyterian  preacher  by  the  name  of4  Hall,  who 
then  resided  in  Springfield,  was  in  the  habit  of 
visiting  BardstoWn  for  the  purpose  of  attacking 
the  Catholics,  whose  numbers  Were  then  greatly 
increasing,  while  their  institutions  Were  Springing 
up  about  this  town.  He  was  a man  of  strong 
frame  and  of  stentorian  lungs,  and  as  bitter  and 
violent  is  his  denunciations,  as  he  was  confident 
and  reckless  in  his  assertions.  He  was  gifted 
With  a certain  stormy  eloquence,  which  made  an 
impression  on  those,  with  whom  declamation 
passes  for  argument,  and  assertion  for  proof.  That 
by  this  description  we  do  him  no  injustice,  we 
appeal  to  the  testimony  of  all  the  impartial. 

Father  David  had  been  explaining,  in  the  Ca- 
thedral, in  a series  of  discourses,  various  points  of 
Catholic  doctrine,  and,  among  others,  that  which 
regards  the  use  and  relative  respect  paid  to  relics 
and  images.  The  bitter  attacks  of  the  preacher 
on  Catholic  doctrines  had  induced  him  to  under- 
take this  course  of  explanatory  and  defensive  lec- 
tures on  the  various  points  impugned  or  misrepre- 
sented. Preacher  Hall  gave  out  that,  on  a certain 
day,  he  would  preach  in  the  Court-house  of  Bards- 
town, on  this  same  subject  of  images,  and  would 
prove  the  Catholic  church  guilty  of  gross  idolatry. 

Though  much  averse  to  oral  discussion,  which 
seldom  ends  in  any  thing  except  a widening  of 
the  breach  and  the  greater  embittering  of  preju- 
dice, yet  Father  David  felt  compelled,’ under  all 
Q 


254 


FATHER  DAVID  I 


the  circumstances,  to  meet  the  Reverend  preacher, 
and  to  answer  his  objections.  A large  concourse 
of  people  were  in  attendance,  on  the  appointed 
day ; and  Mr.  Hall  opened  the  discussion,  with  a 
discourse  of  two  hours  in  length,  in  which  he 
gave  full  play  to  his  lungs,  and  a wide  range  to 
the  subjects  he  brought  up  as  matter  of  accusation 
against  Roman  Catholics. 

When  he  had  concluded,  Father  David  arose, 
and  in  a calm,  solid,  temperate  and  argumentative 
discourse  of  about  the  same  length,  answered  the 
minister’s  objections,  add  laid  down  the  grounds 
of  the  Catholic  faith  and  practice  on  the  subject  of 
images.  His  discourse  made  a deep  impression  on 
his  hearers,  which  was  not  destroyed  by  the  de- 
clamatory rejoinder  of  the  preacher.  Father  Da- 
vid wished  to  bring  him  to  close  quarters,  and  to 
reduce  the  discussion  to  a simple  and  logical  form; 
but  the  preacher  refused  this,  and  also  another  re- 
quest— to  reduce  his  objections  to  writing,  that 
the  Bishop  might  be  able  to  answer  them  in  the 
same  way.  After  having  tired  out  the  audience 
in  his  long  rejoinder,  Mr.  Hall  abruptly  dismissed 
the  meeting. 

There  was,  of  course,  a diversity  of  opinion  as 
to  the  merits  of  the  discussion,  according  to  the 
respective  religious  tenets  or  prejudices  of  the 
hearers.  But  many  intelligent  Protestants  weie 
heard  to  praise  the  calm  manner  and  solid  reason- 
ing of  Father  David : and  a very  talented  Pro- 
testant lawyer,  on  being  asked  his  opinion  of  the 
debate, remarked,  quaintly  and  pointedly:  “that 
while  Bishop  David  was  preaching,  the  admirers 
of  Mr.  Hall  looked  like — owls  when  the  sun  was 
shining.”* 

• This  caustic  remark  is  ascribed  to  the  famous  and  lament- 
ed John  Hayes,  by  nature  one  of  the  greatest  orators  whom 
Kentucky  ever  produced. 


HIS  CONSECRATION,  WRITINGS,  &C.  255 

Circumstances  not  having  allowed  him  fully  to 
answer  the  objections  made  in  the  second  dis- 
course of  Mr.  Hall,  Father  David  resolved  to  give, 
in  writing,  a plain  statement  and  a temperate  de- 
fence of  the  Catholic  doctrine  on  the  subject  of 
images  and  relics.  Another  motive  for  this  pub- 
lication was  the  wish  to  spread  before  the  whole 
reading  community,  most  of  whom  had  not  been 
able  to  attend  the  discussion,  the  whole  matter  in 
controversy.  This  he  did  in  a pamphlet  of  64 
pages,  entitled : “Vindication  of  the  Catholic 
Doctrine  concerning  the  Use  and  Veneration  of 
Images,  the  Honor  and  Invocation  of  Saints,  and 
the  Keeping  and  Honoring  of  their  Relics.”# 

This  pamphlet  exhausted  the  subject,  and  pre- 
sented an  unanswerable  array  of  evidence  on  the 
articles  in  controversy.  Mr.  Hail  published  a 
“Reply,”  which  drew  forth  from  Father  David 
another  pamphlet  of  106  pages,  entitled:  “De- 
fence of  the  Vindication  of  the  Catholic  Doctrine 
concerning  the  Use  and  Veneration  of  Images, 
&c.,  in  answer  to  the  ‘Reply’  of  Rev.  Nathan 
Hali.”f  The  minister  did  not  attempt  a reply  to 
this  publication,  which  accordingly  closed  the 
controversy,  leaving  Father  David  master  of  the 
field. 

About  the  same  time,  Father  David  published 
his  celebrated  “Address  to  his  brethren  of  other 
professions  ; On  the  Rule  of  Faith”J  a pamphlet 
of  56  pages,  remarkable  for  its  clear  and  logical 
method,  its  temperate  spirit,  and  its  unanswerable 
reasoning.  Preacher  Hall  had  delivered  a dis- 
course on  the  same  subject  in  the  Court-house  at 
Bardstown : and  Father  David  had  sent  him,  by  a 

• Published  in  Louisville,  by  S.  Penn,  1821. 

t Published  in  Lexington,  Ky.,  by  James  W,  Palmer,  1823. 

} Published  by  S.  Penn,  Louisville,  1822. 

a 2 


256 


FATHER  DAVID  : 


young  divine,  a series  of  questions*  on  the  sub- 
ject, which  he  had  declined  answering.  In  the 
“Address,”  these  questions  are  taken  up  and  dis- 
cussed with  the  thoroughness  which  marks  every 
thing  from  the  pen  of  Father  David.  It  is,  in  a 
brief  compass,  one  of  the  best  arguments  we  have 
ever  seen  on  the  subject:  and  we  may  here  ex- 
press a hope  that  this  and  his  other  controversial 
writings  will  be  shortly  republished. 

Controversy  was  not  the  only  subject  o.n  which 
Father  David  wrote.  He  had  already  composed 
and  published  in  Baltimore  the  “True  Piety 
one  of  the  best  of  our  books  ol  devotion.  At  a 
later  period  in  life,  he  wrote  several  very  solid  ar- 
ticles for  the  Metropolitan  Magazine,  published  in 
Baltimore  ; and  when  old  age  and  infirmity  com- 
pelled him  to  retire  from  the  active  duties  of  the 
ministry,  he  employed  his  time  in  translating  va- 
rious spiritual  works  of  Saint  Liguori,  and  of  Bel- 
larmine.  The  last  translation  he  made  was  that 
of  Bellarmine’s  beautiful  little  work  “On  the  Fe- 
licity of  the  Saints.”  This  was  a foreshadowing, 
in  his  own  mind  and  heart,  of  those  blessed  reali- 
ties of  heavenly  bliss,  which  he  was  soon  to  taste. 

He  continued  faithful  to  all  his  spiritual  exer- 
cises, as  well  as  laborious  and  indefatigable  in  his 
duties,  to  his  last  breath.  The  evening  of  his  life 
was  spent  in  constant  preparation  for  death.  As 
when  in  the  evening  the  . sun,  after  sinking  below 
the  horizon,  tinges  with  beautiful  and  varied  co- 
lours the  clouds  which  hang  over  the  western  sky; 

* We  intend  givingtbese  questions,  together  with  some  other 
papers,  in  an  Appendix  to  these  Sketches.  See  Appendix  No. 
III.  p.  — 

t This  Prayer  Book,  like  many  other  works,  has  since  been 
improved  for  the  worse  : and  Father  David  was  wont  to  call  thp 
new  editions,  with  a smile,  tl \e  false  “True  Pieties.” 


HIS  CONSECRATION,  WRITINGS,  &C.  257 

so  also,  in  the  evening  of  his  life,  the  gathering 
clouds  of  sickness  and  of  death,  were  lighted  up 
by  the  sun  of  another  world,  which  faith  opened 
to  his  view ! 

He  died  as  he  had  lived.  On  the  12th  of  July, 
1841,  he  quietly  breathed  his  last,  at  Nazareth,  the 
Sisters  of  which  Institution  had  watched  over 
him  with  tender  solicitude  during  his  last  illness. 
He  was  interred  in  their  cemetery.  He  had  reach- 
ed the  eighty-first  year  of  his  life,  the  fifty-sixth  of 
his  priesthood,  and  the  twenty-second  of  his  epis- 
copacy. 

It  is  not  necessary  for  us  to  pronounce  his  eu- 
logy. To  those  who  knew  him,  this  were  unne- 
cessary : and  to  those  who  were  not  personally 
acquainted  with  him,  the  facts  contained  in  this 
and  the  previous  chapter  will  suffice  to  give  some 
insight  into  his  character. 

Sincerity  and  candour  in  all  things  were,  per- 
haps, the  most  distinctive  traits  in  his  character. 
He  was  what  he  appeared  to  be.  He  had  less  of 
human  respect  than  is  usually  found  among  men. 
He  always  told  you  plainly  what  he  thought ; and 
you  might  rely  upon  the  sincerity  of  his  opinion, 
as  much  as  on  the  soundness  of  his  judgment. 
He  was  also,  as  we  have  already  remarked,  entire- 
ly consistent  with  his  own  principles.  If  he  taught 
prompt  obedience  to  others,  he  always  practiced  it 
himself,  no  matter  how  much  pain  it  cost  him ; 
and  this  even  after  he  had  been  consecrated  Bish- 
op. If  he  was  somewhat  rigid  towards  others,  he 
was  much  more  stern  to  himself.  He  never  sought 
to  impose  upon  others  a burden  which  he  did  not 
cheerfully  bear  himself. 

He  was  laborious,  and  always  occupied  in  do- 
ing something  useful.  He  never  lost  a moment  in 
idleness.  He  was  as  regular  in  all  his  habits,  and 
q3 


25S 


FATHER  DAVID,  &C. 


as  punctual  to  all  his  exercises  and  appointments, 
as  he  was  industrious  and  indefatigable.  Regu- 
larity became  a second  nature  with  him.  And 
this  accounts  for  the  great  labours  he  was  able  to 
undergo,  and  the  immense  good  he  was  the  in- 
strument of  effecting.  We  can  in  no  other  way 
explain  how  he  was  able  to  fulfil  so  many  seem- 
ingly incompatible  duties,  and  how  he  could  find 
time  for  all  his  employments. 

Gifted  in  an  eminent  degree  with  the  spirit  of 
prayer,  he  was  always  united  with  God,  in  all  his 
actions.  He  laboured,  not  for  men,  but  for  God  ; 
not  for  earth,  but  for  heaven.  His  ambition  as- 
pired to  a heavenly  crown  of  unfading  glory ; he 
spurned  all  else. 

In  one  word,  he  was  the  faithful  fellow-labourer 
of  our  Bishop,  the  founder  of  our  Seminary  and 
of  the  Sisterhood  of  Charity  in  Kentucky,  and  the 
FATHER  and  Model  of  our  clergy  and  people. 
In  their  memory  and  in  their  hearts  is  his  monu- 
ment reared,  and  his  epitaph  written,  in  indelible 
characters  : — he  needs  none  other ! 


CHAPTER  XVI. 


Rev . Messrs . O’ Flynn  and  Derigaud. 


Rev.  F.  O’Flynn — His  early  life — Emigration  to  America-**' 
And  ariival  in  Kentucky — His  appearance  and  piety — Incident 
showing  his  eloquence — His  infirm  health — And  return  to  France 
— Rev.  M.  Derigaud — His  early  life — Ordination — Virtues — Zeal 
and  labours — A religious  brotherhood — His  edifying  death. 

We  will  endeavour,  in  the  present  chapter,  to 
furnish  brief  notices  of  two  among  the  oldest  and 
most  zealous  of  our  missionaries : the  Rev.  Messrs^ 
O’Flynn  and  Derigaud.  We  regret  our  inability 
to  do  full  justice  to  the  memory  of  either.  Unable 
to  find  any  written  or  printed  account  of  their 
lives,  we  are  compelled  to  confine  ourselves  to 
such  facts  as  we  have  been  able  to  glean  from 
some  of  the  older  Catholics  of  Kentucky.# 

Rev.  Mr.  O’Flynn  was  a native  of  Ireland.  At 
an  early  age,  he  was  sent  to  France,  where  he 
went  through  a regular  course  of  studies,  and  was 
promoted  to  the  priesthood.  Previous  to  his  ordi* 
nation,  he  entered  the  religious  order  of  Francis- 
cans, to  the  austere  obligations  of  which  he  ap-* 
pears  to  have  continued  faithful  until  death. 
After  his  religious  profession  and  ordination  he 
remained  in  France  for  many  years ; and  he  was 

* What  we  will  say  of  Rev.  Mr.  O’ Flynn  rests  chiefly  upon 
the  authority  of  the  Very  Rev.  S.  T.  Badin  : the  facts  concern- 

ing Rev.  M . Derigaud  have  been  derived  from  various  respecta* 
ble  sources* 


260 


REV.  MESSRS. 


as  thoroughly  conversant  with  the  French,  as  he 
was  with  the  English,  language. 

In  consequence  of  the  troubled  condition  of 
Europe,  during  the  years  which  followed  the 
French  Revolution,  F.  O’Flynn,  with  the  appro- 
bation of  his  Superiors,  sought  shelter  in  the 
United  States,  to  the  struggling  missions  of  which 
he  determined  to  devote  the  remainder  of  his  life. 
He  landed  on  our  shores  about  the  year  180T ; 
and  shortly  afterwards  made  a tender  of  his  ser- 
vices to  Bishop  Carroll,  who  sent  him  to  Kentucky. 
He  was  then,  probably,  more  than  fifty  years  of 
age ; his  frame  was  very  slight,  and  his  constitu- 
tion and  health  very  delicate.  Yet  he  did  not 
shrink  from  the  laborious  duties  connected  with 
the  missions  of  Kentucky. 

He  reached  our  State  in  the  year  1808 ; and  im- 
mediately afterwards  engaged  with  zeal  in  the 
active  duties  of  the  missionary  life,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  discharge  for  nearly  eight  years,  residing 
chiefly  with  the  Very  Rev.  M.  Badin,  at  St.  Ste- 
phen’s. He  was  a man  of  prayer  and  of  very 
retiring  habits.  He  was  very  short-sighted,  and 
rather  eccentric  in  his  manners.  He  cared  little 
for  dress,  and  was  very  lowly  in  his  appearance. 
He  was  likewise  very  diffident ; and  it  was  with 
difficulty  that  he  could  be  induced  to  preach.  Yet 
he  is  described  as  having  been  remarkably  elo- 
quent in  the  pulpit,  in  which  he  manifested  all  the 
warmth  and  energy  of  his  countrymen.  As  an 
evidence  of  his  eloquence,  we  will  relate  an  inci- 
dent connected  wtth  the  building  of  the  first  brick 
Catholic  church  in  Lexington. 

In  the  year  1801,  the  Rev.  Mr.  Thayer  had  pur- 
chased a log  house  in  the  lower  part  of  the  city, 
which  was  subsequently  used  as  a Catholic  cha- 
pel for  many  years.  The  number  of  Catholics  in 


t 


o’flynn  and  derigaud.  261 

that  vicinity  having  greatly  increased,  M.  Badin 
determined  to  erect  a more  spacious  and  suitable 
church.  As  the  Catholics  were  chiefly  Irish,  or 
of  Irish  descent,  he  resolved  to  open  the  subscrip- 
tion for  this  purpose  on  St.  Patrick’s  day,  in  the 
year  1810.  He  accordingly  announced,  some 
weeks  previously,  that  the  panegyric  of  Ireland’s 
patron  Saint  would  be  preached  that  year  by  the 
Rev.  F.  O’Flynn,  in  the  Court-house  of  Lex- 
ington. 

F.  O’Flynn  was  then  in  Scott  county : but 
when  M.  Badin  communicated  to  him  the  intelli- 
gence of  the  appointment,  the  old  gentleman  hung 
down  his  head,  and  said,  with  a rich  brogue,  that 
he  “could  not  preach  on  the  occasion ; that  he 
had  no  sermon  prepared ; and  that  he  could  not 
do  justice  to  the  subject.”  M.  Badin  insisted ; 
but  F.  O’Flynn  persisted  in  his  refusal.  It  was 
with  the  greatest  difficulty,  that  M.  Badin  could 
induce  him  to  make  his  appearance  at  all  in  Lex- 
ington on  the  appointed  day. 

The  announcement  had  created  a great  sensa- 
tion, and  the  Court-house  was  filled  to  overflow- 
ing. M.  Badin  was  sadly  puzzled  to  know  how 
to  proceed ; for  he  did  not  wish  himself  to  preach 
the  panegyric,  and  F.  O’Flynn,  though  on  the 
platform,  still  declined.  At  length  he  announced 
to  the  audience,  that  he  would  make  some  prelim- 
inary remarks,  after  which  he  had  no  doubt  that 
his  Reverend  friend  could  be  induced  to  address 
them. 

F.  O’Flynn  at  length  arose.  His  dress  and 
whole  appearance  were  very  lowly  ; and  he  com- 
menced in  an  embarrassed  and  trembling  voice; — 
every  one  expected  an  entire  failure.  Soon,  how- 
ever, his  embarrassment  ceased ; he  kindled  with 
his  subject ; and,  for  more  than  an  hour,  he  kept 


REV.  MESSRS. 


262 

that  large  assemblage  enchained.  All  were  lost 
in  astonishment  at  the  success  of  the  unpromising 
orator.  Seldom  had  such  a burst  of  genuine  elo- 
quence been  heard  in  Lexington.  More  than  three 
hundred  dollars  were  subscribed  on  the  spot,  for 
the  erection  of  the  new  church  ; and  shortly  af- 
terwards, the  amount  had  increased  to  three  thou- 
sand dollars.  Protestants  contributed  as  liberally 
as  Catholics.  Among  the  former,  we  may  men- 
tion with  praise,  Captain  Nathaniel  Hart  and  Col. 
Joe  Daviess.# 

F.  O’Flynn  became  more  and  more  infirm ; and 
at  length  he  was  compelled  to  retire  from  a mis- 
sion beset  with  so  many  hardships.  The  last 
nine  months  that  he  spent  in  Kentucky,  were  pass- 
ed by  him  at  the  residence  of  a countryman,  Cap- 
tain Peter  Wickham,  who  lived  at  the  distance  of 
four  miles  from  Bardstown.  In  the  fall  of  1816, 
he  left  Kentucky  for  France,  having  been  recalled 
by  his  Superiors.  Of  his  subsequent  life  we  know 
nothing,  except  that  he  acted  for  some  years  as 
chaplain  to  a pious  and  wealthy  French  family. 

M.  Derigaud  was  a native  of  France.  He  came 
to  the  United  States  with  Bishop  Flaget,  in  1810. 
As  yet,  though  perhaps  more  than  thirty  years 
of  age,  he  had  not  commenced  his  theological 
studies.  On  the  arrival  of  the  Bishop  in  Ken- 
tucky, in  1811,  he  entered  the  theological  semina- 
ry founded  by  Father  David.  After  having  com- 
pleted the  regular  course  of  studies,  he  was  or- 
dained priest  by  Bishop  Flaget,  in  the  church  of 
St.  Thomas,  on  the  first  day  of  January,  1817. 

•The  liberality  of  the  Protestants  was  likewise  greatly  stimu- 
lated by  the  bigotry  of  many  who  made  every  effoit  to  prevent 
the  erection  of  the  church,  or  even  the  purchase  of  a lot  on 
which  it  might  be  built.  About  the  same  time,  three  thousand 
dollars  were  also  subscribed,  in  a great  measure  by  Protestants, 
for  building  a church  in  Louisville. 


o’flynn  and  derigatjd. 


263 


He  was  not  a man  of  great  talents  or  learning ; 
but  he  was  as  eminent  for  piety  and  zeal,  as  he 
was  remarkable  for  skill  in  the  management  of 
temporal  affairs.  He  devoted  himself  to  the  holy 
ministry  with  all  the  energy  of  his  soul ; and  he 
was  a living  model  of  the  virtues  he  taught  to 
others.  His  health,  naturally  feeble,  had  been 
greatly  impaired  by  the  severe  course  of  studies 
through  which  he  had  passed,  after  be  had  reached 
the  years  of  manhood.  He  bore  his  sufferings 
with  exemplary  patience ; and,  notwithstanding 
his  bad  health,  continued  to  labour  with  unremit- 
ting zeal,  until  the  close  of  his  life.  During  the 
ten  years  of  his  ministry  in  Kentucky,  he  was 
instrumental  in  effecting  great  good. 

On  the  removal  of  the  strictly  theological  de- 
partment of  the  seminary  to  Bardstown,  in  1818, 
M.  Derigaud  was  left  in  charge  of  St.  Thomas’, 
where  such  of  the  seminarians  remained,  as  had 
not  yet  entered  upon  the  study  of  Divinity.  An- 
nexed to  the  preparatory  department  of  the  semi- 
nary, was  also  an  elementary  school,  which  con- 
tinued to  flourish  for  many  years.  Many  of  the 
present  clergy  of  Kentucky  still  remember,  with 
great  reverence  and  affection,  the  virtues  of  M. 
Derigaud,  who  trained  them  up  in  the  path  of  vir- 
tue and  learning,  in  the  seminary  of  St.  Thomas. 

Bishop  Flaget  had  long  wished  to  establish  a 
brotherhood  of  religious  men,  who,  besides  aspir- 
ing to  Christian  perfection,  by  the  observance  of 
the  three  simple  vows  of  poverty,  chastity,  and 
obediance,  might  also  aid  the  missionaries  as  cate- 
chists and  teachers  of  elementary  schools,  and  in 
the  management  of  temporal  affairs.  He  wished 
to  found  a society  similar  to  that  of  the  “Brothers 
of  the  Christian  Doctrine,”  who  have  done  so 
much  good  for  religion  in  various  parts  of  chris- 


264 


REV.  MESSRS.  o’f.  & D. 


tendom.  Several  pious  young  men  offered  them- 
selves for  this  purpose  ; and  the  foundation  of  the 
new  brotherhood  was  laid  at  St.  Thomas’  semina- 
ry, about  the  year  1826.  M.  Derigaud  directed 
the  exercises  of  the  infant  society,  the  members  of 
which  at  first  bound  themselves  by  vows  for  only 
three  years.# 

In  the  spring  of  1827,  the  Brothers  removed  to 
a farm  in  Casey  county,  Ky.,  which  had  been  ob- 
tained for  their  establishment.  M.  Derigaud  ac- 
companied them  as  Superior.  But  his  health, 
which  had  been  declining  for  some  years,  now 
entirely  failed  ; and  he  lingered  but  a few  months. 
He  died  in  that  county,  in  the  summer  of  the 
same  year,  with  the  most  edifying  sentiments  of 
faith  and  piety.  The  good  Bishop  Flaget  visited 
and  comforted  him  in  his  last  sickness.  His  re- 
mains were  brought  back  to  St.  Thomas’  semina- 
ry, where  tl|ey  were  solemnly  interred.  Not  long 
after  the  destth  of  their  saintly  Superior,  the  Bro- 
therhood was  dissolved. 

The  piety,  the  laborious  zeal,  the  fortitude,  and 
the  many  virtues  of  M.  Derigaud,  will  be  long  re- 
membered in  Kentucky,  where  his  memory  is  de- 
servedly cherished. 

* They  were,  soon  after  their  establishment,  ten  in  number; 
and  almost  all  of  them  exercised  some  mechanical  trade.  See 
the  “Annalcs,”  &c.,  vol.  3.  p.  200. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 


The  Rev.  William  Byrne  and  Rev.  George 
A.  M.  Elder. 


Two  Christian  friends — Two  founders  of  Colleges — Rev. 
Wm,  Byrne — His  early  life— His  ordination — His  zeal  and  mis- 
sionary labouis — Founds  St.  Mary’s  College — His  unshaken, 
constancy  in  adversity — His  qualities  as  a preacher — His  virtues 
and  instructions— Falls  a martyr  of  charity — Ptev.  G.  A.  M. 
Elder — His  early  life — And  missionary  labours — His  amiability 
of  character — Founds  St.  Joseph’s  College — A touching  inci- 
dent— His  indefatigable  zeal — His  pious  and  edifying  death. 

On  the  18th  of  September,  in  the  year  1819,  the 
new  Cathedral  of  St.  Joseph’s  at  Bardstown,  was 
thronged  at  an  early  hour,  by  a multitude,  who 
had  come  to  witness  an  important  and  moving 
ceremony.  But  a month  had  elapsed  since  the 
solemn  episcopal  consecration  of  Father  David 
had  taken  place  in  this  same  church ; and  but  a 
few  days  more  than  a month,  since  the  church 
itself  had  been  dedicated  to  God. 

Though  less  solemn  than  the  two  ceremonies 
just  mentioned,  that  of  which  we  are  speaking 
was  almost  equally  impressive.  It  was  the  raising 
of  two  young  men  to  the  sublime  dignity  of  the 
priesthood.  It  was  the  first  time,  that  an  ordina- 
tion of  the  kind  had  taken  place  in  the  Cathedral ; 
and  the  first  time,  too,  that  Bishop  David  perform- 
ed this  ceremony.  Those  two  young  priests  were 


266 


REV.  WM,  BYRNE  AND 


the  first  who  solemnly  prostrated  themselves  be- 
fore that  altar,  to  utter  their  vows  of  eternal  conse- 
cration to  God,  in  the  holy  ministry:  they  were, 
also,  the  first  fruits  of  the  episcopacy  of  Father 
David. 

There  were  other  circumstances  which  tended 
to  impart  additional  interest  to  the  scene  to  which 
we  allude.  The  two  persons,  who  reverently  knelt 
before  that  altar  to  receive  the  sacerdotal  ordina- 
\ tion,  were  from  different  countries  and  continents: 
the  one  was  a native  of  Ireland,  the  other  of  Ken- 
tucky ; one  was  from  the  old,  the  other,  from  the 
new  world.  They  were  united  by  the  bonds  of 
a common  faith,  drawn  yet  more  closely  by  a com- 
mon love  and  charity.  Their  hearts  had  been  long 
blended  together  by  the  mutual  sympathies  of  a 
tender  Christian  friendship,  which  hallowed  and 
ennobled  the  feelings  of  natural  affection.  Both 
were  destined  to  do  much  good  for  religion 
in  Kentucky ; both  too  were  to  be  the  founders  of 
colleges  for  the  Christian  education  of  youth  ; and 
both,  after  having  given  bright  examples  of  priest- 
ly virtues,  to  breathe  their  last  in  the  midst  of 
their  labours  and  usefulness. 

Few  of  our  missionaries,  in  recent  times,  have 
laboured  with  more  indefatigable  zeal,  or  have 
succeeded  in  effecting  more  good,  than  the  two  of 
whom  we  are  speaking.  The  Rev.  Wm.  Byrne 
was  the  founder  of  St.  Mary’s;  and  the  Rev. 
George  A.  M.  Elder,  of  St.  Joseph’s  College. 
Both  institutions  were  established  about  the  same 
time ; both  have  met  with  many  reverses,  have 
had  to  struggle  with  many  difficulties,  and  have 
passed  through  a fiery  ordeal ; both  have  been 
very  useful,  and  have  reflected  great  honor  on  Ca- 
tholicity in  Kentucky.  And  though  the  lives  of 
the  two  good  priests  who  founded  them  are  still 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


267 


fresh  in  the  minds  of  almost  all  our  readers,  and 
appear  to  be  too  recent  to  constitute  the  matter  of 
history;  yet  we  will  be  pardoned  for  devoting  one 
chapter  of  these  Sketches  to  a brief  biographical 
notice  of  them. 

m The  Rev.  Wm.  Byrne  was  born  of  poor,  but 
respectable  and  pious  parents,  in  the  county  of 
Wicklow,  Ireland,  about  the  year  1780.  He  was 
one  of  a large  family  of  children,  and  his  father 
dying  when  he  was  yet  quite  young,  the  care  of 
his  widowed  mother  and  of  the  family,  devolved, 
in  a great  measure,  on  him.  He  fulfilled  the  trust 
thus  committed  to  him  by  heaven,  with  all  the 
earnest  disinterestedness  for  which  he  was  ever 
after  so  conspicuous.  He  had  neither  opportunity 
nor  means  to  acquire  a classical  education : he 
could  only  learn  the  common  elementary  branch- 
es, and  fora  knowledge  of  these,  he  seems  to  have 
been  indebted  to  a pious  uncle.  This  was  the 
more  painful  to  him,  as  from  his  earliest  boyhood, 
he  had  an  ardent  desire  to  become  a priest,  and  to 
labour  for  the  salvation  of  souls.  While  yet  a boy, 
he  heard  read  from  the  altar,  the  passage  from  the 
Apocalypse  which  represents  the  virgins  as  follow- 
ing the  Lamb,  whithersoever  He  goeth — and  from 
that  moment  he  resolved  to  consecrate  his  virgini- 
ty to  God.  But  he  could  bide  his  time,  and  trust 
in  Providence.  The  bloody  scenes  of  the  “Re- 
bellion” in  1798,  made  a lasting  impression  on 
his  youthful  mind.  He  sympathized  deeply  with 
the  Irish  patriots,  and  he  had  many  near  relations 
who  fought  under  their  banner  at  Yinegar  Hill. 
Often  has  he  described  to  us  in  glowing  language 

* In  our  notice  of  Rev.  W.  Byrne,  v/e  abridge  a biographical 
sketch  of  his  life  and  labours,  published  in  the  Catholic  Advo- 
cate for  June  1843  ; and  republished  in  the  Catholic  Cabinet 
of  St.  Louis,  No.  for  February,  1844. 


268 


REV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


the  closing  horrors  of  that  bloody  struggle,  when 
the  beautiful  scenery  of  Wicklow  was  marred  and 
desolated ; and  even  his  own  mother’s  cottage 
was  threatened  with  the  flames.  By  night,  you 
might  then  behold  one  half  of  that  beautiful  coun- 
ty lighted  up,  from  hill-top  and  valley,  by  the 
burning  houses  and  cottages  of  the  more  odious 
“rebels.” 

After  remaining  with  his  mother  until  he  had 
passed  his  twenty-fifth  year,  he  found  that  he  could 
make  the  necessary  arrangements  for  coming  to 
the  United  States  ; and  one  leading  motive  for  this 
step,  was  a hope  that  he  might  thus  be  enabled 
the  more  speedily  to  carry  into  effect  his  darling 
project,  of  devoting  himself  to  God  in  the  holy 
ministry.  Not  long  after  his  arrival  in  America, 
he  entered  Georgetown  College,  and  applied  for 
admission  into  the  Society  of  Jesuits.  He  was 
received  on  probation,  and  made  his  thirty  days’ 
retreat.  After  remaining,  however,  for  some 
months  at  Georgetown,  he  ascertained  that,  in  con- 
sequence of  his  advanced  age,  and  his  neglected 
studies,  he  could  not  hope,  at  least  for  many  years, 
to  be  ordained  in  the  Society  of  Jesus ; and  not 
wishing  to  confine  himself  to  the  humble  office  of 
a simple  lay-brother  in  the  Society,  when  he 
thought  he  had  a vocation  for  the  priesthood,  he 
resolved  to  leave  Georgetown,  and  to  seek  coun- 
sel, as  to  his  future  life,  of  the  venerable  founder 
of  the  American  Hierarchy — Archbishop  Carroll. 

The  Archbishop  received  him  kindly,  heard  him 
patiently,  entered  into  all  his  views,  and  advised 
him  to  apply  for  admission  into  Mt.  St.  Mary’s 
College,  Emmittsburg.  The  late  excellent  Bish- 
op Dubois,  then  President  of  this  Institution,  re- 
ceived him  with  open  arms,  pointed  out  his  future 
course  of  study,  and,  with  the  tender  charity  of  a 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


269 


father,  encouraged  him  to  proceed  in  his  under- 
taking. Finding  in  him  a great  talent  for  manag- 
ing youth,  he  assigned  to  him  the  office  of  Prefect 
in  the  institution,  and  from  the  vigilance,  activity 
and  tact  of  Mr.  Byrne,  in  the  discharge  of  his  im- 
portant office,  he  derived  great  satisfaction  and 
relief  in  the  most  responsible  station  of  President. 

Like  St.  Ignatius,  Mr.  Byrne  began  to  study 
Latin,  when  near  the  age  of  thirty  ; and  he  often 
cheered  himself  on  by  so  bright  an  example.  Less 
energetic  minds  would  have  given  up  the  under- 
taking as  impracticable  ; but  his,  like  a vessel  rid- 
ing the  waves,  always  rose  with  the  difficulties  it 
encountered.  His  labours  were  hallowed  by  reli- 
gion, and  sweetened  by  the  tender  offices  of  friend- 
ship. At  Mt.  St.  Mary’s  he  become  acquainted 
with  the  late  Rev.  G.  A.  M.  Elder,  and,  though 
different  in  disposition,  and  seemingly  uncongeni- 
al in  temperament,  yet  these  two  contracted  an  in- 
timate and  tender  Christian  friendship,  which  last- 
ed through  life,  and  contributed  much  to  the  hap- 
piness as  well  as  to  the  usefulness  of  both. 

To  prosecute  more  rapidly  his  sacred  studies, 
Mr.  Byrne  repaired  to  the  Theological  Seminary  of 
St.  Mary’s,  Baltimore,  which  was  then  in  a flour- 
ishing condition,  under  the  newly  constituted 
“ Marian  Faculty,”  composed  of  Doctors  Tessier, 
Deluol,  and  Damphoux.  Here,  however,  Provi- 
dence permitted  that  he  should  encounter  new  dif- 
ficulties. He  had  not  been  long  in  Baltimore, 
when,  owing  to  circumstances  which  it  is  not  ne- 
cessary here  to  detail,  he  left  the  seminary.  It  is 
proper,  however,  here  to  record  the  fact,  that  he 
ever  entertained  and  expressed  for  the  distinguish- 
ed gentlemen  of  that  institution,  sentiments  of  the 
greatest  respect : and  though  he  often  spoke  on 
the  subject  of  his  leaving  Baltimore,  he  is  not 


270 


REV.  WM,  BYRNE  ANt) 


known  to  have  uttered  one  unkind  word  of  any  of 
them.  Of  the  late  venerable  Dr.  Tessier,  in  par- 
ticular, he  was  wont  to  speak  in  terms  of  the  high- 
est eulogy,  and  his  pupils  were  as  much  conver- 
sant with  the  character  and  virtues  of  this  truly 
good  man,  as  if  they  had  been  acquainted  with 
him  all  their  lives. 

He  had  been  ordained  subdeacon,  and  had  there- 
fore made  an  irrevocable  vow  to  attach  himself  to 
the  holy  ministry : nor  had  he,  when  leaving  Bal- 
timore, the  most  distant  idea  of  abandoning  his 
vocation.  He  threw  himself  into  the  arms  of 
Providence,  and  Providence  directed  his  course 
westward.  At  Pittsburgh,  he  met  with  the  vene- 
rable Bishop  Flaget,  who.  willingly  accepted  the 
tender  of  his  services  for  the  Diocess  of  Bards- 
town.  The  fact,  that  he  was  to  labour  in  the 
same  field  with  his  dear  friend  Mr.  Elder,  and  that, 
toiling  side  by  side,  they  would  sweeten  the  la- 
bours of  the  ministry  by  the  soothing  words  of 
friendship,  was  an  additional  reason  for  attaching 
him  to  the  choice  he  thus  made.  After  some  pre- 
paration at  the  seminary  of  St.  Thomas,  lie  and 
his  friend  Mr.  Elder  were  both  raised  to  the  holy 
order  of  priesthood,  in  the  new  Cathedral  of  St; 
Joseph,  at  Bardstown,  by  the  late  Rt.  Rev.  Dr. 
David.  They  were  the  first  priests  ordained  in 
this  Cathedral,  and  the  first  ordained  by  Bishop 
David. 

Shortly  after  his  ordination,  Mr.  Byrne  was 
appointed  pastor  of  the  congregation  of  St.  Charles 
and  of  Holy  Mary’s,  and  of  the  adjoining  stations. 
Though  his  health  had  been  mtich  impaired  by  a 
long  and  rigid  course  of  study,  yet  he  laboured  in 
his  new  charge  with  the  most  indefatigable  indus- 
try. He  was  always  at  his  post,  and  never  was 
known  to  miss  an  appointment.  Whether  sick  or 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


271 


well,  he  might  be  seen,  by  day  and  by  night,  on 
horseback,  visiting  the  sick,  or  attending  his  con- 
gregations or  stations.  His  zeal  was  fed  by  la- 
bours and  difficulties,  as  fire  is  fed  by  fuel.  Be- 
sides his  ordinary  duties,  he  visited  monthly  the 
congregation  of  Louisville,  more  than  sixty  miles 
distant.  As  a preacher,  he  was  not  eloquent  nor 
pathetic — but  his  discourses  were  plain,  solid  and 
instructive.  His  style  was  different  from  any 
which  we  find  laid  down  in  books  on  rhetoric — it 
might  be  called  the  pointed.  He  had  a quick  eye 
to  observe  the  faults  and  deficiencies  of  his  flock ; 
and  many  who  would  not  be  led  to  the  practice  of 
virtue  by  the  honeyed  tones  of  persuasion,  were 
at  least  often  deterred  from  open  vice  by  his  point- 
ed invectives  from  the  pulpit.  He  eradicated 
many  evil  customs,  and  did  much,  both  byword 
and  example,  to  stimulate  that  spirit  of  sincere 
piety,  for  which  those  congregations  are  now  so 
conspicuous. 

He  had  lived  so  long  in  colleges,  and  had  so 
long  fulfilled  the  disagreeable  office  of  Prefect,  that 
he  had  become  disgusted  with  that  kind  of  life, 
and  had  firmly  resolved  never  more  to  engage  in 
it ; and  he  was  not  much  in  the  habit  of  changing 
his  resolutions.  Yet,  the  ignorance  of  the  chil- 
dren in  his  various  congregations,  and  the  conse- 
quent difficulty  of  teaching  them  their  religious 
duties,  whilst  most  of  them  could  not  read,  made 
him  think  seriously  about  establishing  some  in- 
stitution for  elementary  instruction,  by  which  this 
inconvenience  might  be  remedied.  The  difficul- 
ties were  great  and  appalling.  But  what  were  dif- 
ficulties to  him?  They  only  quickened  his  zeal 
and  nerved  his  resolution.  He  had  neither  money 
to  build,  nor  men  to  conduct  such  an  institution. 
But  his  energy  supplied  every  difficulty.  Once 
R 


272 


REV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


he  had  overcome  his  great  repugnance  to  the  un- 
dertaking, by  persuading  himself  that  it  would 
promote  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  good  of  his 
neighbour,  all  other  obstacles  vanished.  He  laid 
his  plans  before  the  Bishop,  who  had  already  en- 
tertained similar  views,  and  who  warmly  approved 
them,  encouraging  his  zeal  with  a solicitude  truly 
paternal. 

He  immediately  set  about  his  task.  The  first 
thing  to  be  done  was  to  procure  a site  for  the 
seminary.  He  purchased  a farm,  and  paid  for  it 
by  subscriptions  raised  among  those  favourable  to 
his  undertaking.  As  there  was  however  but  little 
money  in  the  country  at  the  time,  he  had  great 
difficulty  in  raising  the  necessary  amount,  and 
especially  in  converting  into  cash  the  articles  of 
produce  subscribed  by  many.  The  farm  paid  for, 
the  next  thing  was  to  erect  suitable  buildings.  An 
old  stone  distillery  on  the  premises,  was  soon  fitted 
up  for  the  purpose  of  an  academy  of  learning. 
Mr.  Byrne  was  himself  almost  Constantly  with 
the  workmen,  and  labouring  with  them  barehead- 
ed, under  a scorching  sun.  He  had  made  an  ar- 
rangement with  the  parents  of  children,  that  every 
thing  contributed  by  them  to  the  institution, 
either  in  money  or  work,  should  be  refunded  in 
tuition,  which  was  to  be  at  the  very  lowest  rates. 
The  parents  were  to  pay  nothing  for  board,  only 
furnishing  a certain  quota  of  provisions  per  session. 
A plan  so  reasonable,  and  so  fully  adapted  to  the 
wants  of  the  community  could  not  fail  to  be  suc- 
cessful. At  length  the  long  and  anxiously  ex- 
pected day  for  the  opening  of  the  new  school  ar- 
rived, and  it  was  on  that  day  filled  to  overflowing. 
It  was  early  in  the  spring  of  the  year,  1821 : and 
the  new  institution  was  called  St.  Mary’s  Se- 
minary. 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


273 


Thus  were  laid  the  foundations  of  a school, 
which,  with  more  trials  and  difficulties  than  have 
perhaps  fallen  to  the  lot  of  any  other  institution, 
has  subsisted  with  ever  increasing  popularity,  for 
twenty- two  years,  and  has  at  length  taken  its  stand 
among  the  first  chartered  Colleges  of  the  country. 
It  was  founded  by  one  man , amidst  difficulties 
which  would  have  appalled  almost  any  other — it 
was  sustained  for  more  than  twelve  years  by  the 
indomitable  energy  of  one  man . It  boasted  no 
money  endowment,  but  it  could  boast  an  endow- 
ment far  more  noble — unquenchable  zeal,  hallow- 
ed by  religion  ! The  R,ev.  Mr.  Byrne  was  Presi- 
dent, sole  disciplinarian,  sole  prefect,  sole  treasur- 
er, and  at  first  almost  sole  professor — he  filled  every 
office.  And  at  the  same  time,  he  was  often  com- 
pelled to  attend  missionary  calls.  Yet  he  found 
time  for  every  thing.  Often  have  we  known  him 
after  all  had  retired  to  rest,  to  go  several  miles  on 
horseback,  to  attend  a sick  call,  which  he  could 
not  find  time  to  attend  during  the  day,  and  after 
returning  and  taking  a brief  repose,  to  be  the  first 
one  up  in  the  morning.  His  quick  eye  immedi- 
ately discovered  those  who  possessed  the  greatest 
talent,  and  amidst  all  his  other  occupations,  he 
found  time  to  train  up  several  of  those  for  teach- 
ers. Thus  in  less  than  a year  he  had  raised  up  a 
body  of  tutors  and  officers,  who  subsequently  re- 
lieved him  of  much  labour,  and  continued  their 
studies,  whilst  engaged  in  teaching  those  branch- 
es which  they  had  already  learned. 

The  seminary  had  become  very  popular  through- 
out Kentucky : its  strict  discipline,  and  the  moral 
and  literary  advancement  of  its  pupils,  were  just- 
ly admired.  Its  founder  had  liquidated  almost  all 
its  debts,  and  had  nearly  completed  an  additional 
building  for  the  accommodation  of  more  students, 
r 2 


274 


REV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


when  God  permitted  the  whole  to  be  consumed  by 
fire ! He  was  absent  in  Louisville  at  the  time, 
and  we  remember  well  the  sadness  which  sat  on 
his  brow  when  on  the  next  day  he  rode  into  the 
enclosure,  and  beheld  the  smouldering  ruins  of 
what  had  cost  him  years  of  anxious  toil!  Yet 
the  suddenness  of  the  shock  did  not  unnerve 
him — it  gave  him  new  energy.  In  a few  short 
months  St.  Mary’s  Seminary  arose  from  its  ashes 
fresher  and  more  beautiful  than  ever ! 

During  the  months  in  which  the  new  college 
was  being  erected,  Mr.  Byrne  toiled  day  and  night; 
he  was  not  a mere  looker-on,  but  he  took  part  in 
the  work.  While  not  thus  employed,  he  was  en- 
gaged in  giving  instructions  to  several  of  his 
more  advanced  students,  whom  he  retained  with 
him.  In  a few  years  he  had  recovered  from  the 
pecuniary  embarrassment  consequent  upon  the 
late  accident  by  fire — he  had  also  paid  the  debts 
of  the  new  building,  and  had  an  additional  edifice 
almost  completed,  when  in  one  night,  by  another 
severe  visitation  of  Providence,  this  last  was  con- 
sumed by  fire,  involving  him  in  a debt  of  more 
than  four  thousand  dollars ! He  was  not  discour- 
aged by  this  second  misfortune,  and  oflered  up 
the  Holy  Sacrifice  the  next  morning  in  thanks- 
giving to  God  for  having  preserved  the  main  build- 
ing. While  those  who  came  to  condole  with  him 
seemed  sad  and  dejected,  he  treated  the  matter 
lightly,  and  observed,  smiling,  that  his  only  cause 
of  grief  was  the  loss  of  his  hat,  which  he  had  for- 
gotten in  the  new  building  on  the  evening  pre- 
vious ! 

Nothing  daunted,  he  rebuilt  the  burnt  edifice 
on  a more  enlarged  plan,  and  in  a few  years  was 
enabled,  by  patient  industry,  and  rigid  economy, 
to  pay  all  his  debts,  and  to  place  the  Institution  on 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


275 


a firm  and  enduring  foundation.  It  may  here  be 
proper  to  glance  at  the  advantages  which  St.  Mary’s 
Seminary  has  bestowed  upon  the  country,  espe- 
cially during  the  twelve  years,  from  1821  to  1833, 
that  it  was  under  the  immediate  superintendence 
of  its  founder.  During  all  that  time,  the  number 
of  students  ranged  from  eighty  to  one  hundred 
and  twenty  : and  taking  one  hundred  as  the  ave- 
rage number,  we  ascertain  that  the  Institution 
gave  instruction,  partial  or  complete,  to  at  least 
1200  youths.  These  were  from  all  parts  of  the 
State,  and  many  of  them,  on  their  return  to  their 
respective  neighbourhoods,  established  private 
schools,  which  they  endeavoured  to  assimilate  to 
their  alma  mater . Thus  the  benefits  of  educa- 
tion were  not  confined  to  those  who  had  been 
students  of  St.  Mary’s  Seminary ; this  institution 
gave  an  impulse  to  knowledge,  which  affected  the 
whole  State,  and  extended  even  to  the  adjoining* 
States.  And  all  this  good  must  be  attributed  to 
the  energy  of  one  man ! Those  who  know  how 
difficult  it  is  to  found,  and  how  much  more  diffi- 
cult it  is  to  keep  up  a literary  institution,  must  be 
impelled  by  these  facts  to  give  him  more  credit* 
than  is  usually  awarded  in  such  cases. 

We  now  come  to  an  act  in  his  life  which  displays 
his  character  more  perhaps  than  any  other,  and 
which  must  forever  endear  his  name  to  St.  Mary’s 
College,  and  immortalize  it  with  posterity.  He 
had  founded  St.  Maiy’s — had  clung  to  it  amidst 
all  its  misfortunes  and  vicissitudes,  for  twelve 
years — he  had  twice  raised  it  up  from  its  ruins — 
he  had  spent  thousands  on  thousands  of  dollars 
upon  it ; the  property  was  his  own,  the  fruit  of  his 
own  industry ; and  he  made  a free  donation  of  it, 
while  living,  to  the  society  of  Jesuits,  believing 
them  much  better  qualified  to  conduct  it  than  him - 
r 3 


276 


REV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


self,  and  thinking  that  he  could  be  more  usefully 
employed  elsewhere.  Though  advanced  in  age, 
and  worn  out  in  constitution,  yet  he  thought  of 
renewing  in  his  declining  years,  the  scenes  of  his 
more  vigorous  manhood. 

He  had  been  on  a visit  to  Nashville,  and  having 
seen  the  necessity  of  an  institution  such  as  St. 
Mary’s  at  that  place,  where  the  Catholic  religion 
had  to  contend  with  neglect  and  scandals,  he  had 
resolved  to  make  it  the  theatre  of  his  future  la- 
bours. In  a letter  to  Bishop  Flaget,  he  observed, 
that  all  he  needed  in  leaving  St.  Mary’s  to  found 
a new  institution,  was  his  horse,  and  ten  dollars, 
to  bear  his  travelling  expenses  ! Some  time  be- 
fore this,  he  had  conceived  a similar  idea  in  regard 
to  an  establishment  near  Paducah,  in  Jackson’s 
Purchase.  This  last  enterprise  he  had  however 
abandoned,  probably  because  he  had  reason  to  be- 
lieve, that  his  absence  at  that  time  might  have 
been  detrimental  to  the  interests  of  St.  Mary’s: 
at  least  it  was  not  because  he  deemed  such  an 
undertaking  impracticable;  for  whoever  knew 
him,  must  have  learned  that  to  him  few  things  ap- 
peared or  were  impracticable.  He  had  made  up 
his  mind  in  regard  to  his  undertaking  at  Nash- 
ville, and  he  delayed  it  for  a short  time,  only  to  aid 
for  a season  his  friend,  Rev.  Mr.  Elder,  in  the  ad- 
ministration of  St.  Joseph’s,  which  was  then  la- 
bouring under  pecuniary  difficulties. 

But  God  was  satisfied  with  his  previous  labours, 
privations,  and  sacrifices,  and  called  him  to  Him- 
self. He  allowed  him  to  breathe  his  last  in  the 
arms  of  the  Fathers  of  the  Society  of  Jesus,  whom 
he  had  always  respected,  and  with  whom,  at 
Georgetown,  he  had  first  learned  to  breathe  the 
pure  atmosphere  of  a religious  life.  But  in  the 
closing  scene  of  his  life  God  wished  to  give  us  a 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


277 


bright  example  of  virtue  the  most  heroic.  He 
had  sacrificed  bodily  comfort,  by  a long  course  of 
privations  and  of  toils — he  had  sacrificed  the  fruit 
of  all  his  labours,  by  one  generous  donation,  made 
for  the  love  of  God— he  was  now  to  sacrifice  his 
life,  and  fall  a victim  of  divine  and  fraternal  chari- 
ty ! The  cholera  came  with  all  its  fearful  horrors: 
consternation  seized  upon  the  spirits  of  all.  It 
was  an  awful  storm,  which  bowed  down  even  the 
oaks  of  the  forest.  But  there  was  one  spirit  which 
quailed  not — the  Rev.  William  Byrne  was  ready 
to  live  or  to  die,  as  might  be-  the  will  of  God  ! In 
common  with  all  his  brethren  of  the  ministry,  he 
exposed  himself  to  danger,  wherever  duty  called  ; 
but  he  had  greater  reasons  than  any  of  them  to 
fear  the  fatal  disease. 

He  had  been  for  many  years  subject  to  a chro- 
nical complaint,  very  analogous  to  the  cholera  in 
its  symptoms,  and  whenever  he  exposed  himself 
to  rain  or  to  cold,  as  he  did  whenever  duty  requir- 
ed, he  might  be  seen  for  hours  writhing  in  the 
very  agonies  of  death — with  cramps  of  the  stom- 
ach, and  spasms  just  like  those  of  a cholera  pa- 
tient. He  was  well  aware  of  all  this,  and  he  had 
reason  to  predict  that  if  ever  he  should  take  the 
cholera,  he  would  fall  a victim  to  it,  being  a sub- 
ject already  predisposed  to  its  attacks,  without 
having  longer  strength  of  constitution  to  struggle 
successfully  against  them.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, he  cheerfully  answered  a call  to  visit  a 
poor  negro  woman,  dying  with  that  disease.  He 
was  not  bound  to  answer  the  call  by  any  pastoral 
charge,  but  he  felt  himself  bound,  by  the  more 
general  consideration  of  Catholic  charity  and  zeal. 
Before  going,  he  was  heard  to  say,  that  it  would 
probably  cause  his  death.  He  went;  prepared 
her  for  death,  and  came  home  himself  to  die ! 


278 


REV.  WM,  BYRNE  AND 


With  the  disease  upon  him,  he  yet  said  Mass  the 
next  morning — from  the  altar  he  went  to  his  bed 
of  death,  and  five  hours  after  he  had  terminated 
that  hallowed  sacrifice,  he  offered  cheerfully  the 
sacrifice  of  his  life.  It  was  the  5th  of  June,  1833. 

One  would  think  that  he  was  reading  of  the 
saints  or  martyrs  of  old — but  he  is  only  reading  of 
the  closing  act  in  the  life  of  one  who  lived  and 
moved  in  the  midst  of  us,  and  whose  life,  while 
he  was  living,  was  not  sufficiently  appreciated. 
The  minister  of  God  may  well  exclaim : may  the 
Lord,  in  his  mercy,  grant  me  the  happiness  to  die 
a death  so  worthy  of  a priest ! “May  my  soul 
die  the  death  of  the  just,  and  may  my  last  end  be 
like  unto  their ?s  ! ” 

The  Rev.  George  A.  M.  Elder  was  born  in 
Washington — now  Marion — county,  Kentucky,  in 
the  year  1793.  His  parents  enjoyed  a moderate 
competence,  and  were  full  of  zeal  for  the  Catholic 
faith.  His  mother  was  a convert.  They  spared 
no  pains  to  make  a good  impression  on  the  tender 
minds  of  their  children,  and  to  rear  them  in  the 
knowledge  and  practice  of  Christian  virtue.  The 
young  George  gave  early  evidences  of  piety,  and 
of  that  amiable  disposition  which  characterized 
him  throughout  life.  He  manifested,  from  his  most 
tender  childhood,  an  ardent  thirst  for  learning, 
and  gave  indications  of  a wish  to  study  for  the 
church.  His  parents  did  every  thing  in  their 
power  to  foster  these  good  dispositions,  by  giving 
him  every  opportunity  to  cultivate  his  mind,  in 
the  few  schools  with  which  Kentucky  was  bless- 
ed at  that  early  day. 

At  the  age  of  about  eighteen,  he  was  sent  to  the 
flourishing  College  of  Emmittsburg,  Maryland. 
Here  he  remained  for  several  years,  prosecuting 
his  classical  studies,  in  order  to  qualify  himself  for 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


279 


entering  on  the  study  of  Theology.  Here,  too,  he 
became  acquainted  with  Mr.  Byrne,  with  whom 
he  formed  that  intimate  Christian  friendship  which 
continued  throughout  life,  and  which  even  death 
could  not  sever. 

With  a view  to  prosecute  the  study  of  divinity 
with  greater  advantage,  he  accompanied  his  friend 
to  the  Theological  Seminary  of  St.  Mary’s,  Balti- 
more, conducted  by  the  Sulpicians.  In  this  in- 
stitution, he  completed  with  credit  his  theological 
course  ; and  then  returned  to  Kentucky,  where 
he  was  soon  after  rejoined  by  his  friend.  As  we 
have  already  seen,  both  were  raised  to  the  priest- 
hood by  Bishop  David,  in  the  new  Cathedral  of 
St.  Joseph’s,  on  the  same  day,  the  ISth  of  Sep- 
tember, 1819. 

Soon  after  his  ordination,  the  subject  of  out  no- 
tice entered  upon  the  active  duties  of  the  holy 
ministry,  in  the  congregation  attached  to  the  Ca- 
thedral. Here  he  laboured  with  great  zeal  and 
efficiency  for  several  years.  The  Diocesan  semi- 
nary had  already  been  removed  to  Bardstown ; 
and,  like  the  other  clergymen  living  in  this  town, 
the  Rev.  Mr.  Elder  resided  at  the  seminary  re- 
cently erected,  and  ate  at  the  same  table  with  the 
seminarians  and  the  two  Rt.  Rev.  Bishops. 

The  people  of  Bardstown  had  long  expressed  a 
wish  to  have  a school  there  established  for  the  ed- 
ucation of  their  children.  The  good  Bishop  Fla- 
get  now  resolved  to  comply  with  this  wish  ; and 
he  selected  Mr.  Elder  to  be  the  founder  and  first 
President  of  the  infant  establishment.  As  no 
buildings  had  been  as  yet  erected  for  the  purpose, 
the  school,  composed  at  first  entirely  of  day-scho- 
lars, was  opened  in  the  basement  story  of  the 
theological  seminary.  The  seminarians  assisted 
he  Rev.  President  in  the  duties  of  the  school, 


280 


REV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


which  was  numerously  attended.  Thus,  about 
the  year  1820,  were  laid  the  humble  foundations  of 
St.  Joseph’s  College.  Its  cradle  was  the  cellar  of 
the  seminary. 

The  number  of  scholars  daily  increasing,  the 
President  determined,  with  the’  approbation  of  the 
Bishop,  to  undertake  the  erection  of  a separate 
building  for  the  college.  The  south  wing  of  St. 
Joseph’s  College  wras  soon  put  up,  and  paid  for 
chiefly  from  the  proceeds  of  the  day-school. 
Boarders  were  now  received,  and  the  institution 
was  soon  filled  to  overflowing.  The  success  of 
the  establishment  surpassed  the  most  sanguine  ex- 
pectations of  its  projectors.  The  number  of  board- 
ers was  soon  afterwards  (in  May,  1825)  greatly 
increased,  by  fifty-four  young  men  brought  up  to 
it  from  the  south  by  the  Rev.  M.  Martial,  a special 
friend  of  Bishop  Flaget.#  This  was  the  com- 
mencement of  that  southern  patronage,  which 
was  destined  to  render  the  institution  so  flourish- 
ing in  after  days ; and  also,  on  the  subsequent 
heavy  pecuniary  derangement  of  the  south,  to 
bring  upon  it  so  great  an  amount  of  pecuniary 
embarrassment  and  responsibility ! 

The  increasing  patronage  of  the  College  soon 
rendered  necessary  the  erection  of  new  buildings 
for  the  accommodation  of  the  students.  The 
north  wing,  and,  subsequently,  the  front,  or  main 
college  edifice,  were  rapidly  put  up.  The  Presi- 
dent spared  no  labour  to  promote  the  welfare  and 
prosperity  of  the  institution,  which  was  soon  in- 
corporated by  the  Legislature  of  Kentucky,  and 

* They  had  belonged  to  a southern  college,  in  the  manage- 
ment of  which  M.  Martial  was  concerned.  When  circumstan- 
ces caused  the  dissolution  of  this  institution,  the  students  were 
transferred  to  St.  Joseph’s  College.  See  the  Annales,  &c.  vol. 
3.  p.  184. 


281 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER, 

became  one  of  the  most  flourishing  colleges  of  the 
west.  It  has  educated  many  youths  of  the  most 
distinguished  families  in  the  western  and  southern 
States. 

The  accomplished  manners  and  amiable  charac- 
ter of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Elder,  gave  him  a peculiar  fa- 
cility for  the  management  of  youth.  He  secured 
the  esteem  and  won  the  hearts  of  all  under  his 
charge.  He  was  like  a kind  parent  in  the  midst 
of  his  affectionate  children.  The  esteem,  love, 
and  confidence  of  both  parents  and  children,  did 
much  to  enlarge  the  patronage,  and  to  secure  the 
permanent  prosperity  of  the  institution.  The 
chief,  and,  perhaps,  the  only  fault  he  had,  as  Presi- 
dent, was  on  the  amiable  side — a too  great  mild- 
ness and  indulgence  in  enforcing  discipline. 

But  it  is  not,  perhaps,  as  founder  or  president  of 
a college,  that  the  character  of  the  Rev.  Mr.  Elder 
exhibits  itself  in  the  best  light.  It  is  not  the  mere 
activity  of  mind  and  body,  the  mere  zeal  for  pro- 
moting education,  or  the  unalterable  meekness  and 
amiability  of  his  disposition,  that  is  most  estima- 
ble in  his  character.  As  a Christian  priest,  pos- 
sessing in  a high  degree  the  virtues  of  his  exalted 
station,  he  has  still  greater  claims  on  our  love  and 
admiration.  He  was  pious  and  exemplary  in  his 
conduct,  regular  in  all  the  devotions  of  the  priest- 
hood, and  zealous  and  laborious  for  the  salvation 
of  souls. 

The  following  touching  incident,  selected  al- 
most at  random,  from  a hundred  of  a similar  na- 
ture, will  illustrate  his  tender  charity  towards  the 
poor.  We  relate  it  in  the  words  of  the  one  who 
pronounced  his  funeral  oration ; and  can  vouch 
for  the  entire  accuracy  of  the  account. 

“About  11  o’clock,  on  a very  cold,  bleak  night, 
in  the  winter  of  1836-7,  a Reverend  gentleman 


282 


REV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


discovered  a man  whose  health  was  particularly 
delicate,  who  was  hungry  and  almost  naked,  stand- 
at  the  college  door.  It  seemed  that  he  had  sought 
shelter  in  other  places,  and  had  been  refused.  He 
had  begged  for  assistance,  but  it  had  been  denied 
him  by  those  who  knew  not  what  it  was  to  be  be- 
nevolent, and  who  could  look  with  a proud,  un- 
pitying eye  upon  suffering  humanity.  The  gen- 
tleman who  discovered  him,  immediately  conduct- 
ed him  to  Mr.  Elder,  by  whom  he  was  received 
with  the  kindest  welcome,  and  who  immediately 
placed  before  him  such  food  as  could  be  obtained 
at  that  hour,  to  satisfy  his  craving  appetite. 

“The  next  thought  was  about  preparing  some 
place  for  the  poor  man  to  lodge.  All  had  retired 
to  rest ; and  there  was  but  one  bed  in  the  apart- 
ment— the  one  on  which  Mr.  Elder  himself  was 
accustomed  to  repose.  But  his  generous  heart 
could  not  brook  the  thought  of  occupying  that, 
while  a poor,  miserable,  unhealthy  stranger,  was 
couchless  under  his  roof.  He  immediately  spread 
the  bed  before  the  fire,  resigned  it  entirely  to  his 
guest,  whom  he  invited  to  repose ; and  very  soon 
the  poor  man  was  unconscious  of  his  wretched- 
ness in  sleep.  Shortly  afterwards — perhaps,  while 
watching  on  that  very  night — Mr.  Elder  composed 
some  verses  in  reference  to  the  circumstance,  every 
line  of  which  speaks  volumes  for  the  benevolence 
and  charity  of  his  heart.  Some  of  them  I will 
repeat. 

“THE  POOR  MAN.” 

“The  Stranger  asks  to  be  received, 

He  stands  imploring  at  my  door  ; 

Of  health,  of  roof,  of  couch  bereaved, 

Can  he  the  wintry  blast  endure  ? 

Thou  shalt  not,  Stranger,  farther  stray  ! 

Thy  sickly  frame  too  feeble  seems, 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


283 


To  bear  the  cold  and  hunger.  Stay, 

And  lose  thy  cares  in  pleasant  dreams. 

Thou  may’st  not  wander  hence  to-night, 

The  winds  so  fiercely  howling  round  ; 

A stouter  heart  might  yield  to  fright; — 

The  ruthless  blasts  so  fiercely  sound  ! 

Come,  seat  thee  there,  and  cheerful  be  ! 

My  hearth,  and  board,  and  bed  be  thine ! 

For  glad  I am  a guest  to  see, 

To  break  my  bread  and  taste  my  wine. 

For  why  have  I these  gifts  in  store, 

If  not  to  share  with  those  who  need  ? 

Then  freely  eat! — But  first  adore 
The  Father  at  whose  hands  we  feed. 

God  bless  the  man  who  loves  the  poor  ! 

God  spare  the  poor  from  want  and  cold  ! 

And  grant  me  this,  (I  ask  no  more;) 

To  give,  and  not  to  hoard  my  gold!”* 

The  Rev.  Mr.  Elder  continued  his  labours  in 
connection  with  St.  Josephs  College  for  nearly 
the  whole  of  the  twenty  last  years  of  his  life.  F or 
only  two  or  three  years  was  this  occupation  chang- 
ed for  the  active  duties  of  the  missionary  life,  in 
Scott  county  and  throughout  the  central  portion 
of  Kentucky.  On  his  retirement  from  the  Col- 
lege, the  office  of  President  was  discharged  with 
great  vigour  and  success,  by  the  Rev.  I.  A. 
Reynolds — the  present  distinguished  Bishop  of 
Charleston.  Upon  the  resignation  of  the  presi- 
dency by  the  Rev.  Mr.  Reynolds,  Mr.  Elder  was 
induced  again  to  accept  the  office,  which  he  con- 
tinued to  hold  till  his  death. 

His  health  was,  however,  already  beginning  to 
decline,  under  the  weight  of  his  heavy  and  long 
continued  labours.  It  received  an  additional 

♦An  “Eulogy  on  the  life  and  character  of  the  late  Rev.  G.  A. 
M.  Elder— delivered  before  the  Eurodelphian  Society  of  St. 
Joseph’s  College,  on  Thursday,  25th  of  October,  1838.  By  J.  D. 
Grant.” — Catholic  Advocate,  vol.  3.  p.  316.  seqq. 


284 


£EV.  WM.  BYRNE  AND 


shock  from  the  exposure  and  fatigue  which  ac- 
companied and  followed  the  disastrous  burning  of 
the  main  college  building,  on  the  25th  of  Janua- 
ry, 1S37.  He  never  recovered  from  this  blow, 
which  not  only  went  to  his  heart,  but  also  greatly 
impaired  his  already  feeble  constitution. 

For  many  years  he  had  been  subject  to  a vio- 
lent palpitation  of  the  heart.  This  disease  had 
been  probably  caused  by  over-exertion,  while  a 
student  at  Emmittsburg.  Each  year  it  exhibited 
symptoms  more  and  more  alarming ; and  at  length, 
in  combination  with  fever,  it  caused  his  death,  on 
the  28th  day  of  September,  1838 — the  forty-fifth 
year  of  his  age,  and  the  twentieth  of  his  priest- 
hood. 

Few  men  were  more  universally  beloved  and 
regretted.  He  had  not,  he  could  not  have  had, 
07ie  personal  enemy.  His  unalterable  sweetness 
would  have  subdued  all  enmity,  even  if  any  had 
existed.  The  reverence  felt  for  his  memory  was 
attested  by  the  vast  concourse  of  persons  who  at- 
tended his  funeral.  The  funeral  procession  was 
more  than  half  a mile  long.  Never,  perhaps,  was 
such  a funeral  witnessed  in  this  portion  of  the 
country.  Persons  attended  without  distinction  of 
creed  or  sect.  They  all  looked  on  him  as  an  or- 
nament and  benefactor  of  society. 

His  death  was,  in  every  respect,  worthy  of  his 
exemplary  and  blameless  life.  Those  who  saw 
him  during  his  last  painful  illness  of  two  weeks’ 
duration,  cannot  easily  forget  the  impression  the 
spectacle  must  have  made  on  their  minds.  We 
will  give,  in  the  language  of  an  eye-witness,  some 
edifying  details  connected  with  his  last  sickness, 
and  his  death. # 

<*Jn  the  midst  of  the  most  painful  agonies  of  his 

* from  the  obituary  notice  published  in  the  Catholic  Advc- 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER. 


285 


sickness,  he  lost  nothing  of  his  usual  calmness  of 
mind.  To  his  last  breath,  he  was  patient,  with- 
out murmuring ; he  was  even  cheerful,  though 
enduring  the  most  excruciating  sufferings.  He 
received  the  last  Sacraments  of  the  church  with  a 
fervour  the  most  edifying,  answering  the  usual 
prayers  with  hands  clasped  and  eyes  uplifted  to 
heaven.  After  he  had  received  the  Holy  Eucha- 
rist, he  burst  forth  into  a canticle  of  praise  and 
thanksgiving  to  God,  interspersed  with  appropriate 
passages  from  the  Psalms,  which  he  repeated  with 
so  much  feeling  and  unction,  as  to  draw  tears  from 
those  present.  When  it  was  suggested  by  the 
clergyman  who  attended  him,  that  he  would  ex- 
haust his  strength,  he  immediately  acquiesced,  and 
became  silent,  seemingly  absorbed  in  prayer. 

“He  frequently  asked  those  in  attendance  to 
read  to  him  some  of  the  Psalms  ; and  he  himself 
pointed  out  such  as  were  his  special  favourites : 
as  the  fiftieth,  beginning,  ‘Have  mercy  on  me,  O 
Lord,  according  to  Thy  great  mercy and  the 
eighty-eighth,  ‘The  mercies  of  the  Lord  1 will 
sing  for  ever.’ 

“He  retained  his  faculties  to  the  last,  with  the 
exception  of  an  occasional  incoherency  when  he 
awoke  from  slumber,  or  when  his  pains  were  most 
acute.  But  even  in  these  wanderings  of  mind,  he 
often  spoke  of  pious  subjects.  During  his  last 
agony,  almost  every  word  he  uttered  showed  that 
his  mind  and  heart  were  directed  towards  heaven. 
Such  were  the  following  aspirations  which  he  re- 
peated many  times,  especially  the  first  one  : “My 
God  and  my  Saviour ! 1 love  Thee  with  my  whole 
heart,  and  with  my  whole  mind,  and  with  my 
whole  strength,  for  ever  and  ever!  Amen.’  ‘Come 

cate,  (vol.  3.  p.  276-7)  with  some  slight  changes  in  the  phrase- 
ology. 


286 


REV.  WM,  BYRNE  AND 


nearer  to  me,  O my  Savour ! Come  nearer !?  4 1 
am  crucified  with  Christ,  crucified,  crucified , to  the 
world  V 

“ While  the  departing  prayer  was  recited,  he  re- 
mained silent  and  collected,  with  his  hands  joined 
before  his  breast.  Almost  his  last  words  were 
passages  from  the  fiftieth  Psalm,  and  the  aspira- 
tions given  above.  He  often  looked  at,  and  reve- 
rently kissed,  the  crucifix,  which  had  been  placed 
on  his  breast,  to  remind  him,  in  that  last  and  dread- 
ful hour,  of  the  death  of  Jesus  Christ.  During 
the  last  half  hour  of  his  life,  he  did  not  speak,  but 
still  held  his  hands  clasped  before  his  breast,  and 
expired  in  that  attitude  of  prayer. 

“Such  scenes  as  this  must  make  even  the  stern- 
est infidel  acknowledge  the  power  of  religion! 
They  console  the  Christian,  and  strengthen  his 
faith.  In  witnessing  them  all  will  exclaim : ‘May 
my  soul  die  the  death  of  the  just,  and  may  my  last 
end  be  like  to  theirs.5 

We  must  present  an  extract  from  the  testimony 
of  another  individual — a Protestant — who  wit- 
nessed that  moving  death-bed  scene. 

“On  the  night  on  which  he  died,  I visited  him. 
When  I reached  the  door,  a solemnly  interesting, 
but  melancholy  scene  presented  itself  to  my  view. 
In  one  corner  of  the  room  stood  the  couch  upon 
which  rested  my  dying  friend.  By  his  side  kneel- 
ed the  clergyman  in  attendance,  breathing  softly, 
but  audibly,  a prayer  in  his  behalf.  The  room  was 
filled  with  kneeling,  weeping  friends.  In  one  part 
of  it  you  might  have  observed  a disconsolate,  al- 
most broken-hearted  sister,  with  her  streaming 
eyes  turned  towards  heaven,  and  her  lips  moving 
as  if  in  prayer.  There  was  the  aged  father,  the 


* Numbers,  xxxiii.  10. 


REV.  G.  A.  M.  ELDER.  287 

very  picture  of  the  deep,  but  calm  grief  of  his 
venerable  age.  I involuntarily  paused ; for  it 
seemed  as  though  some  unearthly  voice  whisper- 
ed me  thus : 

‘Tread  lightly  o’er  the  threshold,  and  leave  there 
The  vanities  of  earth,  and  every  pulse 
Of  woildiiness,  as  unfit  garments.  For  the  place 
Thou  enterest  is  filled  with  heaven, 

And  angels  hover  there,  to  bear  away  in  peace 
The  waiting  spirit  of  the  friend  thoulovest.’ 

“ His  voice  was  nearly  spent ; yet  each 

low,  soft  whisper,  sounded  as  the  vibration  of  some 
harp  whose  strings  were  swept  by  airs  of  heaven. 
Each  word  he  uttered  was  rich  with  love  of  God 
and  his  fellow-men.  And  although  his  manly 
form  lay  prostrate,  yet  his  soul  seemed  lifted  above, 
and  to  be  only  waiting  for  the  call  of  his  Maker, 
to  accompany  a bright  band  of  ministering  spirits 
which  seemed  hovering  around  him,  to  join  the 
company  of  ceaseless  worshippers  around  the 
throne  of  God.  In  a few  brief  moments,  with  the 
cross  upon  his  breast,  his  hands  clasped  before  him, 
and  his  eyes  turned  towards  heaven,  the  angel  of 
death  removed  the  curtain  which  conceals,  and 
his  soul  took  its  flight  into,  the  world  of  spirits. 


* “Eulogy,”  &c.,  before  quoted. 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 


The  Jubilee  of  1826-7 — Statistics  of  the  Diocess 
at  its  close — Conclusion . 


The  nature  of  a Jubilee — And  of  an  Indulgence  in  general — 
The  utility  of  Indulgences  shown — The  Jubilee  of  1826-7  in 
Kentucky — Its  commencement — Progress — And  astonishing  re- 
sults— Edifying  examples— Conversions  of  Protestants — Statis- 
tics of  the  Diocess — The  Rev.  Mr.  Kenrick — Reflections — The 
Patriarch  of  the  West. 

On  his  accession  to  the  Pontificate,  Pope  Leo 
XII.  proclaimed  a Jubilee  throughout  Christen- 
dom. The  voice  of  the  Chief  Pastor  was  heard 
even  in  the  midst  of  the  waving  forests  of  our 
State ; and  it  here  made  so  deep  an  impression, 
and  awakened  so  many  to  faith  and  repentance, 
that  the  date  of  the  Jubilee  which  it  proclaimed 
marks  an  epoch  in  the  church  history  of  Ken- 
tucky. We  intend  to  devote  the  present  chapter 
— the  last  of  these  Sketches — to  a summary  ac- 
count of  this  Jubilee,  which  is  yet  vividly  remem- 
bered by  all  the  older  Catholics  of  our  Diocess. 

A Jubilee  is  an  ample  form  of  Plenary  Indul- 
gence published  at  the  beginning,  and  at  intervals 
of  every  quarter,  of  a century ; as  well  as  on 
great  occasions  of  rejoicing  or  of  calamity  : such 
as  the  accession  of  a Sovereign  Pontiff,  or  a season 
of  imminent  peril  to  the  church.  This  form  of 
Indulgence  has  been  in  use  in  the  church  for  near- 


JUBILEE  OF  1826-7 — STATISTICS,  &c.  289 

ly  five  centuries  and  a half  and  it  has  been 
found  invariably  useful  in  reviving  piety  among 
the  people,  and  in  awakening  sinners  to  conver- 
sion. Like  the  Jewish  Jubilee  of  old,  it  was  al- 
ways viewed  as  a special  season  of  mercy  and 
grace,  in  which  the  bonds  of  iniquity  were  to  be 
broken,  the  long  standing  debts  of  sin  to  be  can- 
celled ; the  sinner  to  rest  from  his  evil  ways,  and 
the  worldling  to  repose  from  the  feverish  excite- 
ments of  earthly  affairs,  and  to  turn  his  attention 
to  the  things  of  eternity.f  So  beneficial  were 
found  to  be  the  results  of  the  first  Jubilees  pro- 
claimed by  the  Sovereign  Pontiffs,  that  it  was  soon 
determined  to  publish  them  more  frequently  than 
had  been  at  first  intended.  The  interval  between 
successive  Jubilees,  originally  a century,  was  af- 
terwards reduced  to  a half,  and  finally  to  a quar- 
ter of  a century — which  last  is  the  present  dis- 
cipline. 

The  immense  spiritual  benefits  which  have,  at 
all  times  and  in  all  places,  resulted  from  the  Jubi- 
lee, are  of  themselves  sufficient  to  establish  the 
fallacy  of  the  Protestant  assertion : that  the  doc- 
trine of  Indulgences  operates  as  an  encourage- 
ment to  the  commission  of  sin.  According  to  its 
very  nature,  an  Indulgence,  instead  of  fostering, 
necessarily  excludes  sin,  by  awakening  repentance 
and  stimulating  the  sinner  to  approach  the  Sacra- 
ments of  Penance  and  the  Holy  Eucharist.  An 
Indulgence  is  not  a remission  of  sin,  nor  of  the 
eternal  punishment  due  to  it,  but  only  of  the  tem- 
poral penalty,  which  often  remains  due  after  the 

* The  first  Jubilee  was  celebrated  in  the  year  1300;  and  it  was 
proclaimed  by  Pope  Boniface  VIII.,  who,  among  other  things,  al- 
leged the  example  of  the  Jubilee  ordained  by  God  for  the  Jews. 

t For  an  account  of  the  Jewish  Jubilee,  see  Leviticus,  ch. 
xxv.,  and  Numbers,  ch.  xxxvi, 

s 


290  THE  JUBILEE  of  1826-7: 

sin  itself  has  been  forgiven.  It  is  a mere  sequel 
to  the  Sacrament  of  Penance.  No  one  can  receive 
the  benefit  of  an  Indulgence,  unless  his  sins  have 
been  already  forgiven  by  God,  and  he  himself  be 
in  the  state  of  grace.  So  that,  a necessary  condi- 
tion for  obtaining  the  Indulgence,  is  a sincere  re- 
pentance of  heart,  with  a confession  and  a firm 
purpose  of  amendment. 

Besides  the  great  benefit  of  an  Indulgence  in 
thus  powerfully  stimulating  the  sinner  to  repent- 
ance, a Jubilee  offers  another  signal  advantage  to 
the  Christian  world.  It  brings  about  a union  of 
prayer  among  Christians  scattered  over  the  sur- 
face of  the  earth.  It  displays,  in  a most  striking 
manner,  the  Unity  and  Catholicity  of  the  Church. 
It  causes  all  differences  of  language,  of  cast,  of 
political  sentiment,  to  disappear ; and  prompts  all 
Christians  to  prostrate  themselves  in  humble  pray- 
er before  the  common  altars  of  a common  religion. 
It  causes  the  voice  of  a heart-felt  repentance  to  as- 
cend simultaneously  from  every  portion  of  the 
earth,  and  to  offer  a holy  violence  to  heaven  in 
the  eloquent  pleading  for  mercy.  If,  where  two 
or  three  disciples  are  assembled  together  in  prayer, 
the  Lord  is  in  the  midst  of  them  ; if,  when  even 
one  sinner  does  penance,  angels  carry  up  the  fall- 
ing penitential  tear  to  the  heavenly  court,  where 
the  intelligence  causes  a jubilee  of  joy  and  exulta- 
tion ; what  will  he  the  approval  of  God,  and  what 
the  joy  of  the  heavenly  host,  when  the  whole 
world  unites  in  prayer  and  in  doing  penance  ? 
Only  the  Catholic  Church,  with  its  indissoluble 
unity  and  its  wide-spread  extension,  can  present 
spectacles  at  once  so  thrilling  and  so  sublime,  as 
that  of  the  whole  world  thus  uniting  in  prayer ! 

These  reflections  naturally  grow  out  of  the  Ju- 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  DIOCESS. 


291 


bilee  of  1825-6, # of  the  promulgation  of  which 
in  our  Diocess  we  will  now  proceed  to  treat  in 
some  detail.  The  blessings  arising  from  this  great 
season  of  mercy  and  benediction  are  still  fresli  in 
the  memory  of  most  of  our  readers.  For  stating 
those  benefits,  and  describing  the  exercises  which 
accompanied  them,  we  possess  an  advantage 
which  we  have  seldom  enjoyed  while  writing  out 
these  Sketches,  that  of  ample  printed  documents. 
A full  account  of  this  Jubilee  was  written  in 
French  by  those  who  participated  in  its  exercises, 
and  was  transmitted  to  the  Association  for  the 
Propagation  of  the  Faith  in  France.  Hence  we 
have  little  more  to  do  than  to  condense  this  state- 
ment, and  to  translate  into  English  its  more  inter- 
esting portions.f 

The  exercises  of  the  Jubilee  began  among  the 
clergy,  assembled  in  a Spiritual  Retreat  at  Bards- 
town  : and  they  were  immediately  afterwards  fol- 
lowed up  in  the  various  congregations  of  the  Dio- 
cess, beginning  with  that  attached  to  the  Cathe- 
dral. In  a letter  addressed  by  the  venerable 
Bishop  Flaget  to  M.  Badin,;j;  dated  Louisville,  Sep- 
tember 29,  1826,  we  find  the  following  interesting 
account  of  the  exercises  of  the  Jubilee,  and  of 
the  fruits  attending  them  among  the  clergy  and 
faithful  of  the  Diocess. 

“You  will  learn  with  pleasure,  how  we  have 
proceeded  to  gain  the  Indulgence  of  the  Jubilee. 
On  the  first  day  of  September,  all  my  missionaries 

* This  Jubilee  was  the  more  solemn  from  the  circumstance, 
that,  besides  occurring  at  the  regular  interval — the  commence- 
ment of  the  second  quarter  in  the  present  century — it  was  in- 
tended also  to  commemorate  the  elevation  of  Leo  XII.  to  the 
Chair  of  St.  Peter. 

t The  documents  alluded  to  are  found  in  the  “Annales  de  la 
Propagation  de  la  Foy,”  vol.  3.  p.  183,  seqq. 

J Then  in  Paris,  France. 


292 


THE  JUBILEE  OF  1826-7  I 


assembled  at  the  theological  Seminary  in  Bards- 
town.  All  of  us  made  together  a Retreat  of  eight 
days,  during  which  we  endeavoured  to  comply 
with  all  the  conditions  prescribed  in  the  Pontifical 
Bull.  On  the  10th  of  September,  being  vested  in 
Pontificals,  I opened  the  Jubilee  for  the  congrega- 
tion of  the  Cathedral.  It  lasted  for  eight  days, 
during  which  a sermon  was  preached  at  10  o’clock 
A.  M.,  a conference  was  given  at  3,  P.  M.,  and 
another  sermon,  on  the  great  truths  of  our  holy 
religion,  was  delivered  by  candle-light.  During 
the  week  following,  the  same  plan  was  followed 
at  St.  Thomas’,  with  the  exception  that  but  one 
sermon  was  given  in  the  day.  At  present  we  are 
engaged  in  giving  the  same  exercises  at  Louis- 
ville, where  a sermon  is  daily  preached  at  the 
church,  and  a conference  given  every  evening  in 
the  Court-house.  I have  with  me  four  young 
missionaries  who  are  doing  great  good. 

“The  young  Mr.  Kenrick,#  a student  of  Propa- 
ganda, presides  over  the  conferences,  and  answers 
the  objections  against  the  Catholic  doctrine.  It 
is  impossible  for  me  to  tell  you  of  all  the  good 
which  results  from  these  conferences  : Protestants 
relish  them  even  more  than  Catholics.  We  have 
had  the  consolation  to  see  a great  number  of  old 
sinners  make  strong  efforts  to  gain  the  Indulgence 
of  the  Jubilee.  Many  Protestants  are  deeply  im- 
pressed  But,  my  God ! how  many  dif- 

ficulties have  they  to  overcome  on  the  part  of  their 
preachers  and  their  relations  ! Six  months  are  al- 
lotted to  each  congregation  to  gain  the  Indulgence. 
I give  Confirmation  wherever  the  Jubilee  is  pro- 
claimed. Nearly  a year  will  be  necessary  for  the 
visitation  of  the  whole  Diocess,  in  making  which 

* The  present  learned  and  excellent  Bishop  of  Philadelphia. 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  DIOCESS. 


293 


I shall  be  accompanied  by  Rev.  Mr.  Kenrick  and 
two  or  three  other  missionaries.  With  what  plea- 
sure have  I entered  on  this  Apostolic  career ! And 
if  the  consolations  which  I at  present  feel  should 
go  on  increasing,  they  will  afford  me  happiness 
enough  for  this  world  : I will  say,  with  the  great- 
est pleasure,  the  nunc  dimittis  at  the  end  of  the 
Jubilee,  provided  my  debts  will  have  been  liqui- 
dated by  that  time.  For  the  love  of  God,  aid  in 
drawing  me  out  of  this  abyss 

In  the  same  collection,  from  which  we  have 
translated  the  portion  of  Bishop  Flaget’s  letter  just 
given,  we  find  a much  fuller  account  of  the  Jubi- 
lee. As  this  document  is  well  written  and  very 
edifying,  and  as  besides,  it  contains  a valuable 
statistical  account  of  the  condition  of  Catholicity 
in  Kentucky  at  that  time,  we  will  be  pardoned 
for  translating  it  entire.*)* 

“The  promulgation  of  the  Jubilee  has  been  for 
the  Diocess  of  Bardstown  an  epoch  of  the  most 
abundant  benedictions.  The  zeal  with  which  the 
faithful  every  where  performed  the  exercises  ; the 
modesty  and  recollection  they  exhibited;  and, 
above  all,  the  eagerness  they  manifested  to  ap- 
proach the  Tribunal  of  Penance  and  the  Holy 
Table ; all  prove,  that,  while  the  Vicar  of  Jesus 
Christ  opened  on  earth  the  treasures  of  the^church, 
God  was  pleased,  from  high  heaven,  to  cast  an  eye 
of  mercy  on  this  portion  of  the  New  World,  and 
to  prepare,  beforehand,  so  to  speak,  the  graces, 
which  he  was  to  scatter  over  it  with  a sort  of  pro- 
fusion. 

“Under  circumstances  so  favourable  to  the  spi- 
ritual good  of  the  flock  confided  to  his  care,  Bish- 

* “Annales,”  &c.,  vol.  3.  p.  183-4. 

1 Ibid.  p.  206.  seqq. 


294  THE  JUBILEE  OF  1826-7 

op  Flaget  did  not  think  that  he  ought  to  spare  him- 
self. He  hesitated  not  to  put  himself  at  the  head 
of  his  missionaries ; and,  despite  the  fatigue  in- 
separable from  long  journeys,  he  wished  to  share 
with  them  in  all  the  labours,  as  well  as  in  all  the 
consolations,  of  a ministry  as  august  as  it  is 
painful. 

“Two  years  had  been  allowed  him  by  the  Pon- 
tiff for  the  promulgation  of  the  Jubilee  in  all  the 
parts  of  his  vast  Diocess.  He  himself  granted 
six  months  to  each  congregation,  for  the  same 
purpose,  in  order  that  all  might  be  the  more  easily 
enabled  to  gather  its  fruits.  The  conditions  pre- 
scribed for  gaining  the  Indulgence  were  : to  visit, 
at  four,  or  at  least  at  three,  different  times  the 
church  of  the  congregation ; to  assist  at  all  the 
public  exercises  as  far  as  practicable ; to  recite  the 
Litany  of  the  Saints,  with  some  other  stated  pray- 
ers ; and  finally,  to  say  five  Our  Fathers  and  five 
Hail  Marys , according  to  the  intentions  of  the 
Sovereign  Pontiff. 

“As  to  the  order  and  nature  of  the  exercises, 
they  were  not  every  where  the  same : it  was  ne- 
cessary to  adapt  them  to  places  and  circumstances. 
At  the  Cathedral,  they  commenced  with  the  cele- 
bration of  the  Holy  Sacrifice  of  the  Mass.  This 
was  immediately  followed  by  the  sermon,  after 
which  the  prayers  above  indicated  were  recited. 
At  three  o’clock,  P.  M.,  a conference  took  place 
between  two  priests,  on  some  dogmatical  point. 
At  half  past  six  o’clock  in  the  evening,  another 
sermon  was  delivered  for  the  convenience  of  the 
citizens  of  Bardstown,  both  Catholic  and  Protest- 
ant, who  might  not  have  been  able  during  the 
day  to  attend  the  meetings.  These  exercises  con- 
tinued for  eight  days  ; and  this  was  likewise  ob- 
served in  all  the  other  congregations,  except  in 


STATISTICS  OP  THE  DIOCESS. 


295 


those  where  the  number  of  Catholics  was  very- 
inconsiderable.  In  the  latter,  however,  but  two 
instructions  were  given  on  each  day. 

a Although  the  churches  were  crowded,  yet  the 
slightest  disorder  never  occurred.  The  attention 
to  the  word  of  God  was  constantly  kept  up,  and 
what  was  yet  more  consoling,  the  eifects  of  the 
sermons  were  admirable.  It  would  have  been 
difficult  to  behold  a greater  concourse  of  persons 
at  the  tribunal  of  penance.  At  four  o’clock  in  the 
morning,  and  even  at  two  o’clock,  in  the  congre- 
gation of  St.  Charles, # although  it  was  the  month 
of  December,  in  the  middle  of  winter,  a large 
crowd  of  persons,  of  whom  many  had  travelled 
several  miles,  pressed  for  admission  at  the  door  of 
the  church.  Scarcely  had  it  been  opened,  when 
the  places  destined  for  hearing  confessions  were 
thronged,  and  they  did  not  cease  to  be  so  until  late 
in  the  evening.  Among  the  faithful,  many  re- 
mained the  whole  day  without  taking  nourish- 
ment, and  even  without  changing  their  places,  for 
fear  of  being  deprived  of  the  consolations  after 
which  they  so  ardently  sighed : yet,  notwithstand- 
ing all  the  care  they  thus  took,  many  were  com- 
pelled to  wait  till  after  the  conclusion  of  the  ex- 
ercises, before  they  could  share  in  the  graces  flow- 
ing from  the  Sacrament  of  Penance. 

“All  hearts  appeared  to  be  truly  moved.  This 
was  seen  in  the  vividness  of  the  sorrow  and  in 
the  abundance  of  tears,  which  accompanied  the 
confession  of  their  sins.  Sinners  of  the  most  in- 
veterate habits  were  seen  weeping  over  their  past 
wanderings,  and  prepared  to  make  the  greatest  sac- 
rifices to  amend  their  lives.  Many,  too,  profitted 

* This  was  one  of  the  principal  congregations  of  the  good  M. 
Nerinckx;  and  the  zeal  there  manifested  during  the  Jubilee, 
proves  that  his  lessons  had  not  been  forgotten. 


296  the  jubilee  op  1S26-7 : 

by  this  happy  season  to  renew  marriages  contract 
ed  before  Protestant  ministers,  and  rendered  null 
by  the  impediment  of  infidelity.  Others,  sur- 
mounting all  false  shame,  repaired  previous  sacri- 
legious confessions.  All,  in  fine,  gave  extraordi- 
nary evidence  of  repentance,  and  showed  a firm 
resolution  to  lead  for  the  future,  lives  more  Chris- 
tian, or  more  perfect. 

“During  the  week  of  the  Jubilee,  all  temporal 
affairs  seemed  forgotten ; only  those  of  the  soul 
were  attended  to  : and  as  the  greater  part  of  the 
Catholics  came  from  a distance  of  eight,  ten,  or 
twelve  miles,  they  remained  during  the  whole  day 
in  the  church.  They  did  not  leave  it,  for  a mo- 
ment, except  to  take  a frugal  repast  on  the  grass, 
or  in  the  adjoining  wood.  Not  only  did  the  la- 
bourers and  farmers,  who  constituted  the  majority 
of  the  Catholics,  give  these  beautiful  examples  of 
fervour  and  zeal,  but  persons  of  every  condition — 
merchants,  physicians,  magistrates,  legislators — 
showed  themselves  equally  eager  to  profit  by  the 
graces  of  heaven.  Human  respect,  so  powerful 
under  other  circumstances,  had  given  way  to  more 
noble  sentiments  : and  all  thought  of  nothing  else 
but  of  giving  open  and  public  evidences  of  their 
strong  attachment  to  a religion,  which  was  the 
only  source  of  their  consolation  and  happiness.  * 

“Such  was  the  edifying  spectacle  which  Ken- 
tucky presented  during  those  days  of  benediction. 
Perhaps  the  fruits  of  the  Jubilee  were  more  abun- 
dant here  than  in  any  other  part  of  the  Christian 
world,  if  we  take  into  the  account  the  small  num- 
ber of  Catholics.  Scarcely  was  there  to  be  found 
one  in  twenty,  who  proved  recreant  to  the  voice 
of  God,  and  to  the  call  of  the  church.  We  may 
be  persuaded  of  this  by  the  number  of  those  who 
received  the  Holy  Communion  and  Confirmation, 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  DIOCESS. 


297 


as  shown  by  the  account  kept  by  the  missionaries 
in  each  congregation.” 

This  number  is  exhibited  by  the  same  writer  in 
the  following  statistical  table. 


Congregations. 

Number  of 
Counties.  Communions. 

Number  of 
Confirmations. 

Cathedral, 

Nelson, 

450 

30 

St.  Thomas, 

Do. 

150 

30 

Louisville, 

Jefferson, 

50 

20 

St.  John  Baptist, 

Bullitt, 

70 

24 

St.  Michael, 

Nelson, 

250 

60 

St.  Benedict, 

Spencer, 

50 

20 

St.  Charles, 

Washington, 

450 

160 

St.  Mary’s, 

Do. 

300 

60 

Loretto, 

Do. 

110 

40 

St.  Pius, 

Scott, 

250 

60 

St.  Peter, 

Fayette, 

30 

00 

St.  Rose, 

Washington. 

, 800 

260 

St.  Hubert, 

Do. 

290 

110 

Holy  Cross, 

Do. 

495 

160 

Do.  do. 

Nelson, 

120 

55 

St.  Vincent, 

Do. 

100 

00 

Sacred  Heart, 

Union, 

150 

60 

Do.  do. 

Daviess, 

40 

7 

St.  Anthony, 

Breckenridgi 

B,  70 

26 

St.  Romuald, 

Do. 

50 

14 

St.  Theresa, 

Meade, 

70 

20 

Total  number, 

4,345. 

1,216. 

“Thus  the  whole  number  of  communicants 
during  the  time  of  the  Jubilee,  amounted  to  four 
thousand  three  hundred  and  forty-five.  If  we  add 
to  this  number  those  who  afterwards  went  to  com- 
munion, after  having  commenced  their  preparation 
during  the  time  of  the  Jubilee,  the  number  will 


298  THE  JUBILEE  OF  1826-7 : 

exceed  six  thousand.^  The  whole  number  of 
Confirmations  was  twelve  hundred  and  sixteen. 

“Three  congregations  in  the  eastern,  and  three 
in  the  western,  portion  of  the  Diocess,  remain  as 
yet  unvisited  ; which,  together  with  those  already 
named,  makes  the  total  number  of  congregations 
in  the  Diocess  exceed  thirty. 

“The  Protestants  also  participated,  at  least  to 
some  extent,  in  this  general  movement.  About 
fifty  of  them  re-entered  the  bosom  of  the  Catholic 
church.  Many  of  these  received  Baptism.  Many 
others  expressed  a desire  to  hear  the  principles  of 
the  Catholic  faith  again  explained.  They  acknow- 
ledged that  the  prejudices,  which  they  had  hither- 
to entertained,  rested  upon  no  solid  foundation. 

“In  the  conferences,  objections  the  most  spe- 
cious and  the  most  difficult,  were  set  forth  and  an- 
swered with  a clearness  and  a force  which  left 
nothing  to  be  desired,  and  precluded  any  reply. 
These  conferences  were  conducted  by  the  Rev. 
Mr.  Kenrick,  a young  Irish  priest,  as  remarkable 
for  his  piety  as  for  the  extent  of  his  knowledge, 
the  vivacity  of  his  mind,  and  the  natural  eloquence 
with  which  he  expresses  himself.  The  sectarian 
preachers  were  often  reduced  to  silence.  A Me- 
thodist preacher,  called,  very  inappropriately, 
Light,  wished  to  profit  by  the  absence  of  Mr.  Ken- 
rick, to  sustain  the  honour  of  his  sect.  He  suc- 
ceeded only  in  drawing  down  upon  himself  the 
humiliation  of  a public  refutation,  to  which  he  did 
not  think  proper  to  make  any  reply.  Another 
preacher  of  the  Anglican  Church  met  with  a sim- 
ilar fate.  Finally,  a Presbyterian  preacher,  more 
ardent,  having  ventured  to  attack  Mr.  Kenrick 

♦The  present  number  of  communicants  in  the  Diocess  proba- 
bly exceeds  ten  thousand. 


STATISTICS  OF  THE  DIOCESS. 


299 


publicly,  was  answered  so  triumphantly,  that, 
when  he  wished  to  speak  in  rejoinder,  he  was 
abandoned  by  Protestants  as  well  as  Catholics.5^ 

Such  were  the  fruits  of  the  famous  Jubilee  of 
1S26-T  in  our  Diocess,  as  unfolded  by  two  eye- 
witnesses. Great  must  have  been  the  delight  and 
consolation  experienced  by  the  venerable  Bishop 
Flaget,  in  thus  seeing  all  his  previous  apostolic 
labours  crowned  with  such  wonderful  success. 
He  had  been  but  fifteen  years  in  Kentucky,  and 
already  his  infant  Diocess  had  produced  fruits  as 
abundant  and  mature,  as  many  other  Diocesses  of 
much  greater  antiquity.  Institutions  of  learning 
and  of  charity  had  sprung  up  in  great  numbers 
around  him,  which  by  their  prosperity  and  useful- 
ness had  far  surpassed  his  most  sanguine  expecta- 
tions. A new  clergy,  formed  by  Father  David,  in 
his  own  newly  established  Diocesan  Seminary, 
now  issued  forth,  full  of  vigour  and  zeal,  to  aid 
their  Bishop  in  the  laborious  duties  of  the  mission- 
ary life.  All,  both  clergy  and  laity,  looked  on 
him  as  a father  ; and  he  viewed  them  as  his  chil- 
dren. He  lived  in  their  midst,  eating  and  drink- 
ing with  them,  sharing  in  all  their  privations,  re- 
joicing with  them  in  their  joy,  and  mingling  his 
tears  with  theirs  in  their  sorrows.  Those  were 
truly  the  golden  days  of  the  church  of  Kentucky. 

What  had  been,  but  a few  short  years  before,  a 
vast  and  unreclaimed  wilderness,  inhabited  only 
by  the  wild  beast  and  the  yet  fiercer  savage,  had 
now  become  a blooming  garden  of  Christianity, 
in  which  the  flowers  of  piety  sent  forth  their 
sweet  fragrance,  and  in  which  the  fruits  of  virtue 
were  gathered  in  abundance.  Churches,  many  of 

* This  preacher  was  the  Rev.  Mr.  Sneed ; and  the  occurrence 
alluded  to,  still  fresh  in  the  memory  of  many  among  our  read- 
ers, took  place  in  Springfield,  Washington  county. 


300  THE  JUBILEE  OF  1826-7. 

them  neat,  and  some  of  them,  as  the  Cathedral  of 
Bardstown,  very  beautiful,  had  sprung  up  in  the 
midst  of  the  waving  forests  : and,  on  Sundays 
and  Festivals,  they  were  crowded  with  worship- 
pers, reverently  kneeling,  and  piously  assisting  at 
the  tremendous  Sacrifice  of  the  New  Law.  The 
public  worship  was  performed  according  to  all  the 
prescriptions  of  the  ceremonial ; and  the  prayers 
of  the  faithful  were  wafted  to  heaven  with  the 
sounds  of  heavenly  music,  and  clouds  of  ascend- 
ing incense.  The  finger  of  God  had  wrought  this 
wonderful  change ! 

In  the  other  portions  of  the  great  West,  origin- 
ally under  the  episcopal  jurisdiction  of  the  Bishop 
of  Kentucky,  the  improvement,  in  a religious  point 
of  view,  has  been  no  less  remarkable.  Truly 
does  the  venerable  Bishop  Flaget  deserve  the  ap- 
pellation, which  he  has  often  received — of  PA- 
TRIARCH OF  THE  WEST. 


APPENDIX. 


APPENDIX. 


We  will  throw  into  an  Appendix  a few  documents 
which  we  had  at  first  thought  of  giving  in  the  text.  They 
may  prove  interesting  to  at  least  a portion  of  our  readers  ; 
and  may  be  deemed  worth  preserving. 


(No.  I.) 

The  Latin  Poem,  or  “Carmen  Sacrum”  op  the  Rev. 
M.  Badin,  composed  on  occasion  of  the  arrival 
of  Bishop  Flaget  in  Kentucky,  in  June,  1811. 


This  poem  was  translated  into  English  by  that  ripe 
scholar,  and  particular  friend  of  M.  Badin,  Mr.  Kean 
O’Hara,  of  Frankfort.  We  will  give  our  readers  his 
translation  of  only  the  concluding  portion,  as  the  whole 
poem  would  be  too  long  for  insertion.  M.  Badin  thus 
addresses  the  new  Bishop  : 

“ Bishop  of  Bard  a ! May  high  heaven  shed 
Its  choicest  blessings  on  thy  reverend  head  : 

And  may  thy  flock  and  clergy  ever  share 
In  all  thy  joys,  as  objects  of  thy  care. 

Thoushalt  be  blessed  ; and  may  thy  Diocess 
In  equal  blessings  hold  an  equal  place. 

Be  this  thy  crown  of  glory  and  reward, 

That  he  who  in  the  name  of  our  dread  Lord 
Doth  come,  shall  blessed  be.  ’Tis  rightly  meet, 

That  I,  precursor  of  my  Pontiff’s  feet, 

The  humblest  servant  of  the  Prince  of  Peace, 

Should  be  diminished  ; and  that  he  increase, 

s 3 


304 


APPENDIX. 


Whose  high  succession  from  St.  Peter  flows, 

And  who,  as  Christ’s  vicarius  clearly  shows 

An  unimpeached  authority  to  guide 

The  flock  o’er  which  he’s  destined  to  preside. 

And  now,  O God  ! since  that  my  eyes  behold 
This  great  salvation  granted  to  Thy  fold, 

Prepared  to  spread  Thy  truth  from  shore  to  shore, 

And  teach  mankind  Religion’s  sacred  lore ; 

O ! let  Thy  servant  now  depart  in  peace! 

Since  false  delusions  shall  henceforward  cease, 

And  the  bright  sun  of  Christian  truth  shall  rise, 

To  guide  a pious  race  to  reach  the  skies  ! 

O Christian  souls  I with  loud  accord  rejoice  ! 

And  praise  your  gracious  God  with  one  harmonious  voice.’ 9 


(No.  II.) 

The  “Epicedium,”  or  Latin  Poem,  written  by  the 
Rev.  M.  Badin,  on  occasion  of  the  Death  of  Col. 
Joe  Daviess,  at  the  Battle  of  Tippecanoe,  Nov. 
7th,  1811. 

This  is,  perhaps,  the  sweetest  Latin  poem  ever  written 
by  M.  Badin.  It  strongly  reminds  us  of  some  of  Virgil’s 
Eclogues.  As  we  have  already  seen,  Col.  Joe  Daviess 
was  a warm  friend  of  M.  Badin,  who,  in  this  Epicedium, 
pours  out  his  soul  in  mingled  strains  of  patriotism  and 
friendship. 

We  will  give  the  Poem  entire,  in  the  elegant  English 
translation  of  it  made  by  Dr.  Mitchell  of  New  York. 

“A  happy  autumn,  with  accustomad  cheer. 

Had  in  profusion  decked  the  fruitful  year  j 


APPENDIX. 


And  elms,  presaging  winter’s  dreary  reign, 

Had  spread  their  drooping  foliage  round  the  plain: 
When  fame’s  loud  trump  the  vault  of  ether  rends, 

As  thus  the  true,  but  mournful,  news  she  sends : 

Pretending  peace,  the  faithless  savage  bands 
By  night  in  blood  imbued  their  murd’rous  hands, 
With  lead  and  steel  and  unexpected  force, 

Assailed  and  slew  the  Leader  of  the  horse  ; 

Pierced  by  three  wounds,  the  brave  Commander  fell. 
The  routed  foes  sent  forth  a hideous  yell, 

Till  death  o’ertook  them  with  relentless  frown, 

And  flames  vindictive  triumphed  through  their  town, 

A Comet’s  glare  foretold  this  sad  event, 

The  quaking  Earth  confirmed  the  dire  portent ; 

E’en  Wabash  slow  his  shores  and  islands  laves, 

As  thick  with  gore  he  rolls  his  viscid  waves. 

The  Dryads  deeply  sigh,  sweet  Hymen  faints. 
Refusing  comforts  ’midst  embittered  plaints  : 

The  Muses  silent  sit,  while  Friendship  weeps, 

On  hand  and  arm  the  crape  of  mourning  keeps, 

And  in  incessant  tears  her  eye-lids  steeps. 

Yet  what  avails  a never-ending  woe? 

The  fates  obdurate  disegard  its  flow  ; 

But  Themis  eyes  the  scene  with  kinder  view, 

Decides  the  meed  of  praise  to  merit  due, 

And  thus,  with  mind  from  doubt  and  error  free, 

In  solemn  words  declares  hei  just  decree  : 

‘Brave  Daviess’  bust  shall  decorate  the  wall 
Where  courts  and  juries  meet  within  my  hall ; 

The  civic  oak  shall  round  his  temples  twine, 

And  victor  laurel  rival  twigs  combine ; 

The  Legislature  pay  the  debt  of  grief, 

And  Clio’s  pen  inscribe  the  historic  leaf : 

Cypress  the  field  shall  shelter  with  its  shade, 

And  for  his  noble  heart  an  urn  be  made ; 


306 


APPENDIX. 


A marble  tomb  shall  faithful  friendship  rear, 

To  guard  his  ashes  with  peculiar  care  : 

Heroic  Daviess  this  our  age  shall  sing, 

Heroic  Daviess  future  ages  ring  ; 

In  eloquence  among  the  foremost  found, 

In  peace  and  war  with  deathless  glory  crowned/ 

Life  occupies  a small  and  bounded  place, 

But  glory’s  as  unlimited  as  space. 

They  who  to  country  give  their  dying  breath, 
Shall  live  immortal,  and  shall  conquer  death  ; 
Their  great  examples  times  to  come  inflame, 

To  shed  their  patriot  blood  for  everlasting  fame." 


(No.  III.) 

A List  of  Questions,  sent  by  Father  David  to  the 
Rev.  Nathan  H.  Hall,  on  the  Rule  of  Faith. 

These  questions  were  intended  to  show  the  uncertainty  and 
difficulties  of  the  Protestant  Rule  of  Faith,  which  admits  no- 
thing that  is  not  contained  in  the  Bible,  as  explained  by  the  pri- 
vate judgment  of  each  individual.  Mr.  Hall,  perhaps  for  a very 
obvious  reason,  never  answered  these  questions.  In  fact,  they 
exhibit  a close  train  of  reasoning,  wholly  unanswerable  by  the 
Protestant.  They  cover  the  whole  ground  of  the  controversy  on 
the  Rule  of  Faith  ; and  show  us  how  logical  was  the  mind  of 
Father  David,  and  how  directly  it  went  to  the  point  at  issue.  His 
“Address,"  &c.  to  Protestants,  on  the  Rule  of  Faith,  is  but  an 
answer  to  these  questions,  and  an  unfolding  of  the  principles 
they  envelope. 


APPENDIX.  307 

The  questions  are  as  follows : — and  we  entreat  eveTy  sincere 
Protestant  to  read  and  ponder  them  well : 

"Is  not  the  first  act  of  faith  to  be  made  on  the  Scripture 
itself,  to  wit  : I believe  that  this  book  contains  the  true 
word  of  God ; that  is*  all  the  books  written  by  inspired 
Writers,  and  none  but  such  as  were  written  by  them?  Iiow 
can  any  one  ascertain  this  from  the  Scripture  itself?  Does 
any  book  in  the  Bible  determine  the  number  of  canonical 
books?  And  if  it  did*  how  shall  I know  that  this  book 
itself  is  canonical? 

“Through  what  channel  have  these  books  been  handed 
down  to  posterity?  How  shall  I know  that  they  have 
been  preserved  in  their  integrity,  and  free  from  interpola- 
tion? Is  this  to  be  known  from  the  Scripture  itself? 

“Should  these  points  be  settled,  how  shall  every  indi- 
vidual be  assured  that  he  has  a good  translation?  That 
the  translators  neither  mistook  nor  wilfully  altered  the 
original  text? 

“Supposing  this  also  to  be  settled*  how  will  those  do* 
who  cannot  read  ? Or  who  have  not  time  to  read?  Have, 
really,  all  the  believers  among  Presbyterians,  Baptists* 
&c.;  in  a word,  among  those  who  make  the  Scripture  the 
sole  Rule  of  Faith,  formed  their  faith  from  it?  Or,  did 
they  not  believe,  and  were  they  not  Presbyterians,  Bap- 
tists, &c.,  before  they  began  to  read?  Must  a man  who 
begins  to  read  the  Bible  be  absolutely  without  faith?  If 
he  has  faith,  by  what  rule  has  he  formed  it?  If  he  has 
none,  how  can  he  be  saved*  in  case  he  die  before  he  has 
read  the  whole  Bible?  And  must  a man,  who  reads  the 
Bible,  be  without  faith  until  he  has  read  the  whole?  If 
not,  when  may  he  begin  to  have  faith? 

“How  did  the  primitive  Christians  do,  before  the  sacred 
books  of  the  New  Testament  were  written?  Had  they 
no  faith?  How  did  Christians  form  their  faith  before  the 
fifteenth  century,  when  the  art  of  printing  was  unknown 
and  few  could  procure  a Bible? 

“Suppose  all  the  preceding  questions  were  solved  to 
every  one’s  satisfaction,  more  difficulties  still  offer  them- 

T 


308 


APPENDIX, 


selves.  How  can  any  one  ascertain  that  he  has  attained 
the  true  sense  of  every  text  in  which  he  thinks  he  disco- 
vers an  article  of  faith?  How  is  he  to  reconcile  the  ap- 
parent contradictions  between  text  and  text?  To  solve  the 
objections  of  those,  who  understand  them  in  an  oppo- 
site sense? 

“When  he  hears  that  the  Scripture  is  an  infallible  Rule 
of  Faith,  an  infallible  judge  of  controversy;  how  is  he 
to  understand  this?  Of  the  Scripture  uninterpreted  or  in- 
terpreted? If  uninterpreted,  how  can  he  hear  a judge  that 
i3  dumb?  If  interpreted,  he  must  • ask,  is  the  interpreter 
fallible  or  infallible?  If  fallible,  he  cannot  rely  on  his 
interpretations.  If  infallible,  who  is  he?  His  preacher? 
But  the  preacher  himself  disclaims  infallibility.  His  own 
private  judgment?  But  this  also  he  cannot  deem  infalli- 
ble. The  Holy  Ghost?  But  first,  how  does  he  know  that 
there  is  a Holy  Ghost?  This  is  a point  of  faith  to  be 
known  by  the  Rule  of  Faith,  to  wit:  the  Scripture.  But 
this  he  cannot  know  till  he  has  already  ascertained  the 
sense  of  it.  Secondly,  how  can  he  be  assured  that  he  is 
inspired  by  the  Holy  Ghost,  when  he  sees  the  very  fathers 
of  the  Reformation,  Luther,  Zwinglius,  and  Calvin, 
wrangling  so  much  about  the  plainest  texts  of  Scripture? 
When  he  sees  the  numberless  sects,  who  take  the  Scripture 
for  their  sole  Rule  of  Faith,  so  widely  differ  from  one 
another?'*  * 


FINIS. 


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